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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. race — humankind
  5. net — for catching
  6. ground — a position
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. stem — to come from
  9. ground — crushed
  10. net — in sport
  11. fork — in a road
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. race — the arms race
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. roll — a list
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. net — after costs
  23. race — a contest
  24. roll — a cake

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