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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. row — to paddle
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. ground — crushed
  8. spell — magic
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. lie — to recline
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — a position
  16. spell — a short time
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. row — a line
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. spell — letters
  21. pitch — completely
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. pound — a weight
  24. lash — an eyelash

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