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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. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. face — to confront
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. ground — crushed
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. current — of water
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ground — a position
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. face — part of the head
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. perch — the fish
  17. face — to point toward
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. band — a music group
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. arm — part of the body

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