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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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. wake — before a funeral
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rest — a break
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. band — a ring
  14. wake — a trail
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. cap — a lid
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. ground — the earth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. fine — all right
  22. band — a music group
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. fine — high quality

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