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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. season — of the year
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. file — a document
  5. chip — for betting
  6. file — a tool
  7. ground — a position
  8. chip — to eat
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. file — a line of people
  12. wind — moving air
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. wind — moving air
  15. season — in sport
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. pit — a hole
  19. snap — to click
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ground — the earth
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. pit — in a race

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