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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. object — to protest
  5. spell — magic
  6. ground — the earth
  7. season — of the year
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rash — a series
  10. object — a thing
  11. spell — letters
  12. tear — to rip
  13. suit — in cards
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. season — in sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. foot — a measure
  18. tear — from crying
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rash — hasty
  21. object — an aim
  22. suit — clothes
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ground — a position

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