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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. present — there
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — the earth
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rest — what's left
  9. lean — to bend
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. mug — to rob
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. rest — what's left
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. swing — music
  17. lean — thin
  18. present — the time now
  19. swing — in golf
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. present — a gift
  24. ground — crushed

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