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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. pop — soda
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. last — to go on
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. last — finally
  8. pop — music
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. foot — a measure
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. pop — to visit
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. ground — a position
  17. plane — a tool
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. kid — child
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. last — final
  24. safe — a strongbox

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