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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pound — a weight
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. lean — thin
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ground — the earth
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. key — for a lock
  14. band — a music group
  15. key — the most important part
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — a position
  18. rest — a break
  19. saw — the tool
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a ring
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. rest — what's left
  24. lean — to bend

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