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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rest — a break
  4. spring — a coil
  5. ground — a position
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. spring — the season
  10. rest — what's left
  11. spring — of water
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. key — in music
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. key — the most important part
  16. rest — what's left
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. key — for a lock
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. ground — crushed

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