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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: racket · craft · ground · spring · pass · dip · tear · rash

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. ground — a position
  4. pass — a permit
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — a coil
  7. ground — crushed
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. dip — to sink
  11. craft — a skill
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. craft — boats
  18. rash — a series
  19. tear — to rip
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spring — of water
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. ground — the earth

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