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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wind · sharp · ground · hide · spring · lie · stick · nail

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ground — crushed
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. spring — a coil
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. sharp — clever
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. lie — to recline
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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