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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. rest — what's left
  3. present — there
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. mate — a partner
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rest — what's left
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ground — the earth
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — a gift
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rest — a break
  17. ground — a position
  18. mate — a friend

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