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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. cue — for pool
  5. lie — to recline
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ground — the earth
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. cue — a signal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. wind — moving air
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. fall — the season
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. cue — a hint
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bore — to tire
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — to drill

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