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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. scale — size or range
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. chip — for betting
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chip — to eat
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. season — in sport
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. stand — to bear
  20. ground — a position
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. lie — to recline
  23. season — of the year
  24. scale — in music

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