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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. file — a document
  5. ground — a position
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. lean — thin
  11. lean — to bend
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. file — a line of people
  16. file — a tool
  17. bear — the animal
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pit — a hole
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. trunk — of a car

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