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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. tube — the underground
  3. track — a song
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — the earth
  6. shower — rain
  7. ground — a position
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. track — to keep track
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. branch — a division
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. rock — a stone
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. track — a path
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. rock — to move gently

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