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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. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. suit — clothes
  4. ground — a position
  5. pit — in a race
  6. season — of the year
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mug — a cup
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. season — in sport
  13. stem — to come from
  14. mug — a face
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mug — to rob
  19. shower — to wash
  20. shower — rain
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. suit — in cards
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. suit — to fit

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