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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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468
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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — a position
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. cell — a phone
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. present — there
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fork — in a road
  9. present — the time now
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. cell — in biology
  14. lie — to recline
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. present — a gift
  24. bowl — a football final

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