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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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mug — to rob
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. ground — crushed
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. ground — the earth
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mug — a cup
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. row — to paddle
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. prune — to trim
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bound — tied together
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. mug — a face
  21. bound — certain
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bound — obliged
  24. row — a line

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