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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. ground — crushed
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. mine — for digging
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a face
  14. pass — a permit
  15. spring — of water
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. ground — a position
  20. mug — a cup
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — the earth

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