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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. ground — crushed
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. tube — the underground
  6. pass — a permit
  7. hand — help
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. ground — the earth
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. kick — in football
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. mine — for digging
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. saw — the tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. ground — a position
  20. tube — a container
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. saw — the tool
  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