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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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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: stick · ground · hide · sharp · nail · rest · pit · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rash — a series
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. sharp — clever
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rest — what's left
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ground — a position
  15. rest — what's left
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. pit — a hole
  19. rest — a break
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. pit — in a race
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. sharp — with an edge

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