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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. roll — a list
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. cell — a phone
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. dip — to sink
  11. ground — crushed
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. cell — in biology
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. ground — the earth
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. pitch — completely
  24. roll — a cake

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