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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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. ground — a position
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. foot — a measure
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kid — child
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. key — for a lock
  12. kid — to tease
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. lean — to bend
  15. lean — thin
  16. key — the most important part
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. rest — what's left
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — in music
  22. ground — crushed
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. foot — the bottom

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