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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 124 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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lie — to recline
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. charge — a price
  13. prune — to trim
  14. scale — in music
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. scale — size or range
  20. toast — bread
  21. charge — in control
  22. prune — to trim
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. ground — crushed

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