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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. track — a path
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. track — to keep track
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. drill — a practice
  11. track — a song
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rash — a series
  15. drill — army training
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — crushed
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ground — the earth
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ground — a position
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com