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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ground — a position
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hand — help
  10. ground — crushed
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. craft — a skill
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. hand — in cards
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. craft — boats
  24. prune — to trim

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