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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. land — to come down
  3. ground — a position
  4. craft — boats
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. ground — crushed
  7. swing — music
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. land — ground
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. can — a tin
  14. swing — in golf
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. land — a country
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — a skill
  19. swing — to play on
  20. can — to be able to
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. can — a tin
  24. lash — to lash out

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