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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. fall — the season
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spell — magic
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cap — of ice
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. band — a ring
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. ground — the earth
  16. band — a music group
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. cap — a hat
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. cap — a lid
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spell — letters

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