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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. branch — a division
  11. spell — letters
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. squash — the sport
  14. spell — a short time
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — a position
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — magic
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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