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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fall — to drop
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. ground — a position
  5. chest — of your body
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bound — certain
  13. ground — crushed
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — obliged
  16. fall — the season
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. chest — a box
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fall — to drop
  24. ruler — for measuring

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