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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. chest — a box
  5. staff — employees
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. staff — a stick
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. plane — a tool
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mark — a trace
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chest — of your body
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. staff — employees
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. ground — a position
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — in geometry

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