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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. ground — a position
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ground — crushed
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. game — wild animals
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. game — a match
  17. ground — the earth
  18. pitch — completely
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to click
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lash — to lash out

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