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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. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. wound — an injury
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. lean — thin
  5. ground — crushed
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. drill — army training
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. drill — a practice
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. ground — a position
  17. bass — low music
  18. drill — the tool
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bass — the fish
  23. ground — the earth
  24. safe — out of danger

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