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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 116 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lean — to bend
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lean — thin
  6. stock — goods
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. last — final
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stock — shares
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. plane — a tool
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. last — finally
  24. last — to go on

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