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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. mine — for digging
  3. current — electric
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. ground — crushed
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. current — happening now
  10. snap — to click
  11. saw — the tool
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lie — to recline
  14. current — of water
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. ground — the earth
  18. plane — a tool
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. fan — a supporter

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