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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. rule — a law
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. ground — a position
  5. tear — to rip
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rule — government
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. ground — the earth
  16. scale — size or range
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. pound — a weight
  21. ground — crushed
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. cue — for pool

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