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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. ground — a position
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fine — all right
  7. tube — a container
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. ground — crushed
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ground — the earth
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. mate — a partner
  17. roll — a cake
  18. tube — the underground
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fork — in a road
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mate — a friend
  24. roll — a list

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