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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. spring — of water
  3. fall — the season
  4. present — the time now
  5. rest — what's left
  6. ground — crushed
  7. season — in sport
  8. ground — the earth
  9. race — humankind
  10. rest — what's left
  11. present — a gift
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. spring — a coil
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. race — a contest
  18. spring — the season
  19. race — the arms race
  20. rest — a break
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. fall — to drop
  23. season — of the year
  24. present — there

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