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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lie — to recline
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. ball — a dance
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. wax — to grow
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. ball — a great time
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. game — a match
  16. ground — the earth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. ground — a position
  24. lie — an untruth

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