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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. hand — help
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. rule — a law
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. rush — hurry
  12. object — a thing
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. rule — government
  22. ground — crushed
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. hand — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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