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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. file — a line of people
  3. ground — the earth
  4. file — a document
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bank — for money
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. bank — of a river
  9. file — a tool
  10. bank — for money
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fine — all right
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. fine — high quality
  19. mine — for digging
  20. ground — a position
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. bear — the animal

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