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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lean — thin
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a song
  5. lean — to bend
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ground — crushed
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. bound — tied together
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. track — a path
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. bound — obliged
  18. bound — certain
  19. row — a line
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. row — to paddle

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