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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 116 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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. net — for catching
  3. ground — the earth
  4. face — to point toward
  5. tube — the underground
  6. ground — crushed
  7. net — after costs
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. club — for golf
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. tube — a container
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — government
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. face — to confront
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ground — a position
  24. face — part of the head

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