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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. That must've been a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. ground — a position
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cold — not warm
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. ground — crushed
  8. charge — a price
  9. charge — in control
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rush — hurry
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. charge — electricity
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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