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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ground — a position
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ground — crushed
  5. track — a path
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. mug — a face
  8. ball — a dance
  9. last — to go on
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. last — final
  12. branch — a division
  13. ground — the earth
  14. ball — a great time
  15. squash — to crush
  16. mug — to rob
  17. lie — to recline
  18. mug — a cup
  19. track — a song
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. squash — the sport
  22. track — to keep track
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. last — finally

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