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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. ground — crushed
  7. land — a country
  8. degree — from a university
  9. chest — a box
  10. chest — of your body
  11. degree — temperature
  12. land — to come down
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spell — letters
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. spell — magic
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. ground — a position
  22. degree — an amount
  23. land — ground
  24. stand — for spectators

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