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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. bound — tied together
  8. ground — crushed
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ground — the earth
  16. snap — to click
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats
  19. bound — obliged
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wax — to grow
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. bound — certain

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