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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. cell — in biology
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. snap — to click
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cell — a phone
  8. can — to be able to
  9. can — a tin
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. saw — the tool
  15. can — a tin
  16. mark — a trace
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. mark — a grade
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. saw — the tool

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