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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. False peace will not ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — finally
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ground — a position
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. mate — to breed
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. last — final
  16. kick — in football
  17. mate — a partner
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. ball — a great time
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. date — the fruit
  22. ground — the earth
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. mate — a friend

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