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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. ground — a position
  4. staff — employees
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. fork — in a road
  7. shower — rain
  8. lean — to bend
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. present — a gift
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mine — for digging
  13. ground — the earth
  14. staff — employees
  15. lean — thin
  16. present — there
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. toast — bread
  19. present — the time now
  20. shower — to wash
  21. ground — crushed
  22. staff — a stick
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. fork — a garden tool

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