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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. bound — tied together
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. object — an aim
  12. ground — a position
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. lie — to recline
  15. wound — an injury
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. bound — certain
  18. bound — obliged
  19. object — to protest
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. object — a thing
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. temple — side of the head

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