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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ground — a position
  4. spring — the season
  5. hand — help
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a partner
  8. kid — child
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mate — to breed
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — to bend
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lie — to recline
  17. spring — of water
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — in cards
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. ground — crushed
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. spring — a coil

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