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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. race — humankind
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ground — a position
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. ground — crushed
  10. mine — for digging
  11. race — the arms race
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. race — a contest
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. rock — a stone
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. hand — help
  22. hand — in cards
  23. foot — a measure
  24. hide — to keep secret

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