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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pop — to visit
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wind — moving air
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wind — moving air
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. pop — music
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bass — the fish
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. ground — a position
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pop — soda
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bass — low music

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