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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fork — in a road
  8. ground — crushed
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bound — tied together
  11. bound — certain
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ground — the earth
  15. row — to paddle
  16. shower — to wash
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. bound — obliged
  19. fine — all right
  20. shower — rain
  21. row — a line
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fan — a supporter

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