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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. ball — a great time
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. stock — shares
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. stock — goods
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. ball — a dance
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ground — a position
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. foot — a measure

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