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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bound — certain
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — a position
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. bulb — for light
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. cold — not warm
  14. can — a tin
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. can — a tin
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — tied together
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cold — an illness

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