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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wound — an injury
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ground — a position
  15. ground — crushed
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. scale — in music
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. scale — size or range
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ball — a round shape

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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