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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. spring — a coil
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. spring — the season
  7. ground — crushed
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lean — thin
  10. last — finally
  11. ground — a position
  12. lean — to bend
  13. last — final
  14. last — to go on
  15. spring — of water
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. tube — the underground
  20. stock — goods
  21. tube — a container
  22. pit — a hole
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. stock — shares

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