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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. ground — crushed
  4. lie — to recline
  5. ground — the earth
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. saw — the tool
  8. suit — to fit
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. suit — in cards
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. suit — clothes
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. fork — in a road
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. plane — a tool
  24. fork — a garden tool

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