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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bound — certain
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rush — hurry
  13. cap — of ice
  14. bound — tied together
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. fall — the season
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. ground — a position
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ground — crushed
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. ball — a dance

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