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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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 — the earth
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. wound — an injury
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. wound — an injury
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wind — moving air
  22. bear — the animal
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. cabinet — ministers

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