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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 120 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. saw — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. ground — a position
  23. ground — the earth
  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