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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. land — ground
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. drill — a practice
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. current — electric
  9. current — of water
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. lie — to recline
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. current — happening now
  14. drill — army training
  15. land — a country
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. ground — a position
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rash — hasty
  20. land — to come down
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. drill — the tool
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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