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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rule — government
  8. stem — to come from
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. key — in music
  22. rule — a law
  23. ground — a position
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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