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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 116 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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mate — a partner
  4. can — to be able to
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ground — a position
  7. bound — obliged
  8. can — a tin
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mate — to breed
  12. tube — the underground
  13. ground — the earth
  14. bound — tied together
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mate — a friend
  17. bound — certain
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — clever
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. hide — to keep secret

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