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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. ground — a position
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chest — a box
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. ground — crushed
  11. roll — a cake
  12. board — a committee
  13. last — to go on
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. board — to get on
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chest — of your body
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. last — final
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. last — finally
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. foot — a measure

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