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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rash — a series
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. lean — thin
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ground — crushed
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. lean — to bend
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rash — hasty
  18. sharp — clever
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. snap — to click
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. ground — a position

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