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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. mark — a trace
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. rock — music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. deal — to handle
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. saw — the tool
  14. wax — to grow
  15. mark — a grade
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rock — a stone
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. ground — a position
  22. sharp — clever
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. ground — the earth

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