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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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. staff — employees
  4. drill — the tool
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. last — finally
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. dip — to sink
  9. drill — a practice
  10. staff — a stick
  11. ball — a great time
  12. staff — employees
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. drill — army training
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. last — to go on
  18. last — final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. ball — a dance
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. ground — a position
  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