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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 116 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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. fall — the season
  3. land — to come down
  4. track — a path
  5. last — final
  6. suit — in cards
  7. track — to keep track
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. last — to go on
  10. fall — to drop
  11. suit — to fit
  12. ground — the earth
  13. land — a country
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. track — a song
  16. rest — a break
  17. ground — a position
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. land — ground
  21. last — finally
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — clothes
  24. lash — an eyelash

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