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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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. drill — army training
  4. lie — to recline
  5. mug — a face
  6. spring — a coil
  7. mug — to rob
  8. rock — a stone
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. drill — the tool
  13. rock — music
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — the season
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. nail — on a finger

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