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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. fork — in a road
  5. bank — for money
  6. lean — to bend
  7. saw — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. cold — not warm
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bank — of a river
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. season — in sport
  20. season — of the year
  21. cold — an illness
  22. lean — thin
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — the earth

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