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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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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: wound · firm · ground · can · tear · rule · straw · drill

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. rule — a law
  4. tear — from crying
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — government
  7. tear — to rip
  8. can — to be able to
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. firm — decided
  13. wound — an injury
  14. firm — steady
  15. ground — crushed
  16. drill — the tool
  17. ground — a position
  18. tear — from crying
  19. wound — an injury
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. can — a tin
  22. drill — army training
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. drill — a practice

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