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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. file — a line of people
  3. mug — a face
  4. mug — to rob
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. ground — the earth
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. ground — crushed
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. file — a document
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. file — a tool
  17. foot — a measure
  18. sharp — clever
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. foot — the bottom

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