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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — the earth
  4. lie — to recline
  5. fork — in a road
  6. mug — a face
  7. cue — a signal
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ground — a position
  12. cue — a hint
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. mug — a cup
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mug — to rob
  17. bulb — for light
  18. can — a tin
  19. bulb — for light
  20. can — a tin
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bulb — of a plant

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