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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bound — certain
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. net — for catching
  11. drill — army training
  12. mine — for digging
  13. net — after costs
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. net — in sport
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ground — the earth
  19. kick — in football
  20. foot — a measure
  21. drill — a practice
  22. bound — obliged
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ground — a position

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