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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 116 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. rule — a law
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rule — government
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. ground — a position
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. lie — an untruth

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