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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. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. spell — letters
  4. tube — a container
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. season — of the year
  7. firm — steady
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — magic
  10. ground — a position
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. ground — crushed
  15. tube — the underground
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. season — in sport
  22. firm — decided
  23. firm — a company
  24. temple — side of the head

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