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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. firm — a company
  3. firm — decided
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. mine — for digging
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. ground — the earth
  9. bass — the fish
  10. tube — the underground
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. firm — steady
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. bass — low music
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lie — to recline
  24. mine — belonging to me

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