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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. suit — clothes
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. ground — a position
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. suit — to fit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wake — a trail
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. suit — in cards
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. cabinet — ministers

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