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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. bound — certain
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. ground — crushed
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — a position
  8. file — a line of people
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ground — the earth
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bound — tied together
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. file — a tool
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. file — a document
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bound — obliged
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. kick — in football
  24. scale — size or range

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