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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. ground — a position
  5. file — a line of people
  6. ground — the earth
  7. file — a tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. chip — to eat
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. mug — a cup
  13. row — to paddle
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mug — to rob
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. file — a document
  20. chip — for betting
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. mug — a face
  23. row — a line
  24. row — a quarrel

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