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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. drill — the tool
  3. foot — a measure
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. ground — the earth
  6. bark — to shout
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. rash — a series
  11. ground — a position
  12. drill — army training
  13. season — in sport
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. rash — hasty
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ground — crushed
  23. season — of the year
  24. drill — a practice

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