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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. mine — for digging
  14. season — in sport
  15. toast — bread
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. season — of the year
  21. deal — to handle
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. ground — a position

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