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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. row — to paddle
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — farmland
  7. bear — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. row — a line
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. ground — crushed
  13. spring — of water
  14. spring — a coil
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spring — the season
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. ground — a position
  21. toast — bread
  22. wound — an injury
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. field — a subject

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