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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bat — the animal
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — magic
  6. rash — a series
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. lie — to recline
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. bore — to drill
  17. spell — a short time
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. bore — to tire
  23. ground — a position
  24. rash — hasty

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