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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rule — government
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. spring — a coil
  8. rule — a law
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. row — a line
  11. spring — the season
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mug — to rob
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — crushed
  20. spring — of water
  21. mug — a face
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. mug — a cup
  24. fall — to drop

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