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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. ground — crushed
  4. kick — in football
  5. ground — the earth
  6. charge — a price
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. spring — the season
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spring — of water
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. ground — a position
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. sharp — clever
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. charge — in control
  24. spring — a coil

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