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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · wound · ruler · spell · mark · ground · tear · pound

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — magic
  4. mark — a trace
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wound — an injury
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wound — an injury
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. pound — a weight
  12. tear — from crying
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. spell — letters
  17. ground — a position
  18. tear — to rip
  19. ground — crushed
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. spell — a short time
  22. dip — to sink
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mark — a grade

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