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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ground — a position
  4. ground — crushed
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. ground — the earth
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. object — an aim
  15. pitch — completely
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. object — a thing
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. sharp — clever

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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