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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. sharp — clever
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. pit — in a race
  8. ground — crushed
  9. key — for a lock
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — the earth
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. shower — rain
  14. pit — a hole
  15. key — in music
  16. key — the most important part
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mark — a grade
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. mark — a trace
  24. trunk — of a car

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