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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. scale — size or range
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. staff — a stick
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ground — crushed
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — a phone
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. scale — in music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. pound — a weight
  22. cell — in biology
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fan — to cool the 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