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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. ball — a great time
  6. shower — rain
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. wound — an injury
  9. ground — a position
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rash — a series
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. ball — a dance
  15. shower — to wash
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. capital — a city
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rash — hasty
  21. wound — an injury
  22. lie — to recline
  23. ground — crushed
  24. capital — money

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