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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. ground — the earth
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. hand — help
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. ground — a position
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. ground — crushed
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. hand — in cards
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. date — the fruit
  24. hand — part of the body

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