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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. season — in sport
  5. firm — a company
  6. wound — an injury
  7. bank — for money
  8. bank — for money
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. season — of the year
  12. roll — a list
  13. firm — steady
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. wound — an injury
  16. band — a music group
  17. roll — a cake
  18. bank — of a river
  19. lie — to recline
  20. band — a ring
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. firm — decided
  24. roll — on a roll

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