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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. craft — a skill
  8. object — a thing
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fall — to drop
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. ground — crushed
  13. object — to protest
  14. lie — to recline
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. object — an aim
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. craft — boats
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. lie — an untruth

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