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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 116 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. ground — crushed
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. ground — a position
  9. scale — in music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. can — a tin
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rest — what's left
  20. scale — size or range
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. hide — animal skin

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