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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. ground — the earth
  4. can — to be able to
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. current — happening now
  7. ground — a position
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. lean — thin
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. can — a tin
  16. cold — an illness
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. current — of water
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. lean — to bend
  21. can — a tin
  22. current — electric
  23. cold — not warm
  24. toast — bread

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