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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ball — a dance
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bulb — for light
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. rest — what's left
  9. field — a subject
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — thin
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. field — farmland
  16. lean — to bend
  17. rest — a break
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. ground — a position
  21. field — for sport
  22. bulb — for light
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. ball — a great time

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