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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. rash — hasty
  4. ground — a position
  5. mark — a trace
  6. band — a ring
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. tube — the underground
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. tube — a container
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. band — a music group
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rash — a series
  20. toast — bread
  21. ground — the earth
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. mark — a grade
  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