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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kid — to tease
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. ground — a position
  5. clip — a video
  6. kid — child
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. lie — to recline
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. ground — crushed
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. squash — to crush
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. clip — to cut
  20. clip — for paper
  21. bank — for money
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bank — for money

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