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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. dip — to sink
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. last — finally
  6. ground — a position
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. fork — in a road
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a trace
  14. ground — crushed
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. last — final
  19. last — to go on
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. pitch — completely

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