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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. spring — of water
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ground — crushed
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mate — a friend
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. craft — boats
  16. ground — a position
  17. spring — the season
  18. ground — the earth
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. plane — a tool

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