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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. ground — crushed
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. field — for sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. mark — a trace
  10. prune — to trim
  11. field — farmland
  12. ground — a position
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. prune — to trim
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. field — a subject
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. ground — the earth
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mark — a grade
  24. prune — the fruit

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