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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. object — to protest
  3. mine — for digging
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. squash — the sport
  10. cap — a lid
  11. object — an aim
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. cap — a hat
  14. ground — crushed
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cap — of ice
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. lie — to recline
  19. ground — a position
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. kick — in football
  23. object — a thing
  24. lie — an untruth

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