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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. squash — to crush
  4. ground — a position
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. mark — a trace
  10. rash — a series
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rash — hasty
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. squash — the sport
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mark — a grade
  18. wave — with your hand

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