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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 124 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. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ground — crushed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. cap — a lid
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cap — of ice
  12. cap — a hat
  13. saw — the tool
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — the earth
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. lie — to recline
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. saw — the tool
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. plane — a tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. ground — a position

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