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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. rush — hurry
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. pit — in a race
  7. toast — bread
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. roll — a cake
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ground — a position
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ground — crushed
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. pit — a hole
  21. roll — a list
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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