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

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. cold — an illness
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. cold — not warm
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. wake — a trail
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. cold — the Cold War

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