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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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468
Word bank
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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. fine — high quality
  6. clip — to cut
  7. mug — a cup
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. clip — a video
  11. clip — for paper
  12. foot — a measure
  13. mug — a face
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ground — the earth
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fine — all right
  18. mug — to rob
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. ground — a position
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. stand — for spectators

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