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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. lean — thin
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. ground — a position
  10. net — after costs
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lean — to bend
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. net — for catching
  15. sharp — clever
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fork — in a road
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — crushed
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. net — in sport
  24. ruler — a monarch

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