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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. shower — to wash
  3. net — for catching
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. net — in sport
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. snap — to click
  9. charge — a price
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. net — after costs
  12. shower — rain
  13. ground — a position
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. charge — in control
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. charge — electricity
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. ground — the earth

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