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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 116 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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. net — after costs
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. shower — to wash
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. bore — to tire
  9. key — in music
  10. ground — crushed
  11. key — for a lock
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ground — a position
  14. shower — rain
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. net — in sport
  17. net — for catching
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. bore — to drill
  23. key — the most important part
  24. mouse — for a computer

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