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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. ground — crushed
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. suit — clothes
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. fall — to drop
  8. staff — a stick
  9. suit — to fit
  10. staff — employees
  11. pit — a hole
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. fall — to drop
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. staff — employees
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ground — a position
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. pit — in a race
  22. tube — the underground
  23. tube — a container
  24. fall — the season

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