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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — crushed
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. mate — a partner
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mate — a friend
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mate — to breed

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