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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — crushed
  4. track — to keep track
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. track — a song
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. chest — of your body
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. kid — child
  18. chest — a box
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. ball — a great time
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. kid — to tease
  24. track — a path

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