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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — crushed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. rash — a series
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. clip — for paper
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. shower — rain
  12. clip — a video
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rash — hasty
  17. clip — to cut
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. ground — a position
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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