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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. ground — the earth
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bark — to shout
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. pit — a hole
  8. last — finally
  9. land — ground
  10. last — final
  11. land — a country
  12. season — in sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. season — of the year
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. hide — to keep secret

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