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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mate — to breed
  4. ground — a position
  5. current — electric
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bulb — for light
  8. rest — what's left
  9. mate — a partner
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. kid — to tease
  15. mate — a friend
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rest — a break
  18. chest — of your body
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. current — of water
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. current — happening now
  23. kid — child
  24. chest — a box

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