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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spring — a coil
  3. bank — for money
  4. spring — the season
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — ground
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. land — to come down
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. land — a country
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ground — a position
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bank — for money
  15. craft — boats
  16. ground — crushed
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spring — of water
  22. bank — of a river
  23. craft — a skill
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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