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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. key — the most important part
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. lean — thin
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. key — in music
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. ground — a position
  17. wound — an injury
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. dip — to sink
  20. key — for a lock
  21. lean — to bend
  22. foot — a measure
  23. rush — hurry
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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