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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. net — for catching
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a line of people
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. foot — a measure
  14. net — after costs
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. mark — a grade
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. ground — the earth
  21. mark — a trace
  22. net — in sport
  23. file — a document
  24. leaves — lets stay

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