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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. ground — crushed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. ground — the earth
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. row — a line
  11. present — a gift
  12. present — there
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. dip — to sink
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. rush — hurry
  22. row — to paddle
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. ground — a position

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