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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — hurry
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pit — a hole
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. spring — a coil
  8. cue — for pool
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. spring — the season
  16. bear — the animal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cue — a signal
  20. pit — in a race
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. ground — a position
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. spring — of water

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