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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. mate — to breed
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pit — a hole
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. spring — the season
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kick — in football
  10. mate — a partner
  11. ground — a position
  12. spring — a coil
  13. pit — in a race
  14. mate — a friend
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. roll — a cake
  19. spring — of water
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. ground — the earth
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. roll — a list

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