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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. spring — the season
  4. rash — a series
  5. rock — music
  6. ground — a position
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. chip — for betting
  11. ground — crushed
  12. swing — in golf
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. swing — to play on
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. rock — a stone
  22. swing — music
  23. chip — to eat
  24. spring — of water

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