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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lie — to recline
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — in football
  5. spring — of water
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. hand — in cards
  8. pop — music
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pop — soda
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. spring — a coil
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. hand — help
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — the season
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. ground — crushed
  24. pop — to visit

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