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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. ground — crushed
  4. file — a document
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. file — a tool
  10. rash — a series
  11. mug — a cup
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. suit — to fit
  14. file — a line of people
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — the tool
  17. bound — certain
  18. row — to paddle
  19. rash — hasty
  20. mug — to rob
  21. row — a line
  22. mug — a face
  23. suit — in cards
  24. ground — the earth

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