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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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468
Word bank
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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. tear — to rip
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. tear — from crying
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. tear — from crying
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. trunk — of a tree

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