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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. craft — a skill
  8. cold — an illness
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. prune — to trim
  12. present — there
  13. present — a gift
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. prune — to trim
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. craft — boats
  18. key — for a lock
  19. key — in music
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. present — the time now
  24. key — the most important part

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