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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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ground — the earth
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. season — of the year
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ground — crushed
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pound — a weight
  11. season — in sport
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ground — a position
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. row — a line
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. sharp — clever
  24. deal — an agreement

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