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

Word bank: nail · ground · tear · spell · cap · ruler · stick · bay

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. cap — a lid
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. cap — of ice
  7. tear — from crying
  8. spell — letters
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. spell — magic
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cap — a hat
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. ground — a position
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. ground — the earth
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. ground — crushed

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