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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. spring — a coil
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. mug — to rob
  5. spring — of water
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. mug — a cup
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — a division
  16. mug — a face
  17. ground — a position
  18. spring — the season
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. ground — the earth

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