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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rash — a series
  4. perch — the fish
  5. clip — to cut
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. ground — crushed
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. plane — a tool
  18. rash — hasty
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. clip — a video
  21. clip — for paper
  22. vault — a safe
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. safe — a strongbox

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