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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. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. tear — from crying
  3. firm — steady
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ground — a position
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. firm — decided
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. cap — a hat
  11. ground — crushed
  12. dip — to sink
  13. tear — from crying
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mark — a grade
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — a company
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mark — a trace
  23. wind — moving air
  24. toast — bread

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