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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. ground — crushed
  5. capital — a city
  6. stem — to come from
  7. last — to go on
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. ground — the earth
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. last — finally
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. last — final
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. capital — money

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