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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. sharp — clever
  5. cap — a hat
  6. roll — a cake
  7. roll — a list
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — an aim
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wake — a trail
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. object — a thing
  16. ground — crushed
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. cap — a lid
  19. ground — a position
  20. cap — of ice
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. wind — moving air
  23. object — to protest
  24. lash — to lash out

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