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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. fall — the season
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. swing — in golf
  11. rash — a series
  12. ground — a position
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — to play on
  15. swing — music
  16. foot — a measure
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rash — hasty
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. fall — to drop
  23. ground — crushed
  24. leaves — of a tree

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