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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. staff — a stick
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. staff — employees
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. tube — a container
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. tube — the underground
  18. staff — employees

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