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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 spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. ground — a position
  3. pit — a hole
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. roll — a cake
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. roll — a list
  9. foot — a measure
  10. ground — crushed
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. present — the time now
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pit — in a race
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. ground — the earth

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