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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 120 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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. mate — a friend
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. firm — decided
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — a position
  10. mate — to breed
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spring — of water
  15. spring — the season
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — crushed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. spring — a coil

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