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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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. ground — crushed
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — to rob
  7. ground — the earth
  8. last — final
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. board — a committee
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. snap — to click
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. ground — a position
  24. board — to get on

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