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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rock — a stone
  3. shower — rain
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. shower — to wash
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — to drop
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. content — happy
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rock — music
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — crushed
  20. lean — to bend
  21. content — the amount
  22. lean — thin
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — the season

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