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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ground — crushed
  4. shower — to wash
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. shower — rain
  11. ground — the earth
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mark — a grade
  24. ground — a position

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