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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. ground — crushed
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. rock — a stone
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. race — humankind
  8. land — ground
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ground — the earth
  11. ground — a position
  12. rock — music
  13. race — the arms race
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. race — a contest
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. land — to come down
  21. snap — to click
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. land — a country
  24. rock — to move gently

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