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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. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. lean — thin
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bass — low music
  5. shower — rain
  6. rule — government
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. rule — a law
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bass — the fish
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. kid — child
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. kid — to tease
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — for a computer

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