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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. chest — of your body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. wake — a trail
  6. object — an aim
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. fork — in a road
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. mug — a cup
  11. object — to protest
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mug — a face
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. mug — to rob
  21. chest — a box
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. object — a thing

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