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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stand — to bear
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. tear — from crying
  9. foot — a measure
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. ground — crushed
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. tear — to rip
  15. march — the month
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. charge — electricity
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — a position
  22. charge — a price
  23. march — music
  24. tear — from crying

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