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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — moving air
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lean — to bend
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. lean — thin
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. wind — moving air

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