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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chip — to eat
  3. lie — to recline
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pit — a hole
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. ground — a position
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. ground — crushed
  10. staff — a stick
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. drill — the tool
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. chip — for betting
  18. drill — army training
  19. ground — the earth
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. snap — to click
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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