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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spring — of water
  3. ground — crushed
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mark — a trace
  7. net — in sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rule — government
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rule — a law
  13. ground — a position
  14. mark — a grade
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. net — after costs
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — the season
  20. bear — the animal
  21. net — for catching
  22. ground — the earth
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. rule — to rule 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