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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. ground — a position
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. mug — a cup
  5. sharp — clever
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. kid — to tease
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. spell — magic
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mug — to rob
  17. ground — the earth
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. lean — to bend
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kid — child
  24. lean — thin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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