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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. ground — a position
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. ground — the earth
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. track — a path
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. stem — to come from
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. track — a song
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. temple — side of the head

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