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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. lie — to recline
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. scale — size or range
  7. present — there
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. ground — the earth
  11. scale — in music
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. ground — a position
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. land — a country
  18. present — the time now
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. present — a gift

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