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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spell — letters
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. spell — a short time
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. capital — a city
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spell — magic
  14. capital — money
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — a position
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. lie — to recline

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