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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bore — to tire
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mark — a grade
  10. rush — hurry
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. bore — to drill
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mark — a trace
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. ground — a position
  18. tear — from crying
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. nail — on a finger

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