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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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. rule — a law
  4. rock — music
  5. race — the arms race
  6. staff — a stick
  7. pop — music
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — to confront
  10. race — humankind
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. rule — government
  13. rock — a stone
  14. race — a contest
  15. pop — to visit
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. staff — employees
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. staff — employees
  23. pop — soda
  24. face — part of the head

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