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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. race — the arms race
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. race — humankind
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. ground — a position
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lean — to bend
  15. pound — a weight
  16. ground — the earth
  17. bark — to shout
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. race — a contest
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. charge — electricity
  24. lean — thin

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