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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. roll — a list
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. fork — in a road
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. ground — crushed
  9. net — for catching
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. ground — a position
  12. roll — a cake
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. net — in sport
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ground — the earth
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. net — after costs
  24. fork — to eat with

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