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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 124 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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — a country
  5. ground — a position
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. foot — a measure
  8. land — ground
  9. charge — electricity
  10. lie — to recline
  11. row — to paddle
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — the earth
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. charge — in control
  18. row — a line
  19. ground — crushed
  20. charge — a price
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. date — the fruit
  24. land — to come down

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