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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. saw — the tool
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. ground — a position
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. ground — the earth
  9. capital — money
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. capital — a city
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. mine — for digging
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. ground — crushed

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