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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 no middle ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. ground — a position
  3. fall — the season
  4. current — electric
  5. current — of water
  6. kid — to tease
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. mug — a face
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bear — the animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. mine — for digging
  17. fall — to drop
  18. kid — child
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bear — the animal
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. current — happening now
  23. mug — a cup
  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