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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. ground — crushed
  4. shower — to wash
  5. season — in sport
  6. ground — a position
  7. season — of the year
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bank — for money
  12. land — a country
  13. rush — hurry
  14. bank — for money
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. shower — rain
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. bank — of a river
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. land — ground
  23. land — to come down
  24. lie — to recline

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