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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. ground — the earth
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stand — to bear
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. ground — a position
  13. sharp — clever
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. ground — crushed
  16. lean — thin
  17. lean — to bend
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. mouse — the animal

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