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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 124 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — a position
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — a division
  6. race — humankind
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. race — a contest
  12. race — the arms race
  13. saw — the tool
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. ground — the earth
  17. saw — the tool
  18. mate — a partner
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. mate — to breed
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. mate — a friend

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