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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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. file — a line of people
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. file — a tool
  6. ground — crushed
  7. key — the most important part
  8. season — of the year
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rash — a series
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. key — for a lock
  13. season — in sport
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — hasty
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. key — in music
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bear — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. safe — out of danger

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