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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — in sport
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. wind — moving air
  7. wind — moving air
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. bark — to shout
  11. ground — crushed
  12. season — of the year
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. lean — to bend
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. ground — a position
  20. lean — thin
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. season — to add flavour

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