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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 124 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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. hide — animal skin
  4. prune — to trim
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. rest — a break
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ground — the earth
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. prune — to trim
  12. file — a document
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. field — for sport
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. rest — what's left
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. rest — what's left
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. field — a subject
  24. field — farmland

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