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

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — a practice
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. rock — music
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pass — a permit
  14. spell — magic
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. spell — a short time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. spell — letters
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ground — crushed
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rock — a stone

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