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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. shower — rain
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. ground — crushed
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pass — a permit
  20. track — a song
  21. track — a path
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. track — to keep track

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