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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. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ground — a position
  4. lie — to recline
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. drill — army training
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. drill — the tool
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. bark — to shout
  14. cold — not warm
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. drill — a practice
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. ground — the earth
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. cold — an illness

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