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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. perch — the fish
  3. race — the arms race
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wound — an injury
  7. present — the time now
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. race — a contest
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. present — there
  14. ground — a position
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. ground — the earth
  19. race — humankind
  20. present — a gift
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. wound — an injury
  23. snap — to click
  24. ground — crushed

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