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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lean — to bend
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. march — the month
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. ground — crushed
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. march — music
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. ground — a position
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. march — the month
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lean — thin
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. snap — to click

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