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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
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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: cap · drill · tear · arm · rush · mark · lean · ground

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  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. rush — a thrill
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. mark — a trace
  5. ground — a position
  6. lean — thin
  7. drill — army training
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. ground — the earth
  10. tear — from crying
  11. cap — a hat
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. drill — the tool
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. cap — of ice
  17. ground — crushed
  18. cap — a lid
  19. tear — to rip
  20. rush — hurry
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. lean — to bend
  23. drill — a practice
  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