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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. race — the arms race
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. spell — letters
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ground — a position
  11. pop — to visit
  12. band — a ring
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. spell — magic
  16. pop — music
  17. pop — soda
  18. spell — a short time
  19. race — humankind
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ground — crushed
  22. race — a contest
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. band — a music group

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