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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. rush — hurry
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rash — a series
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. file — a tool
  12. tube — a container
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. pit — in a race
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rash — hasty
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. saw — the tool
  20. file — a document
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. file — a line of people
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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