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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. craft — boats
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mine — for digging
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. season — in sport
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. stem — to come from
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. season — of the year
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. craft — a skill
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. mine — belonging to me

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