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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 116 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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. tube — a container
  3. content — the amount
  4. ground — crushed
  5. object — an aim
  6. scale — in music
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. ground — a position
  9. spring — the season
  10. object — a thing
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. spring — of water
  13. ground — the earth
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. rash — a series
  16. object — to protest
  17. scale — size or range
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rash — hasty
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. content — happy
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. lash — an eyelash

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