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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. ground — the earth
  3. roll — a cake
  4. ground — crushed
  5. wound — an injury
  6. press — a publisher
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ground — a position
  9. press — to push
  10. tube — the underground
  11. wound — an injury
  12. roll — a list
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a tool
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. tube — a container
  21. press — newspapers
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. safe — out of danger

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