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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. ground — a position
  4. kid — child
  5. mate — a friend
  6. ground — crushed
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. ground — the earth
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. mate — to breed
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mate — a partner
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — a tin
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. kid — to tease
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. squash — the sport
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. can — to be able to
  24. wave — of the sea

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