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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — a position
  5. bat — the animal
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. wound — an injury
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. fork — in a road
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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