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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. lean — thin
  5. cue — for pool
  6. rush — hurry
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. cue — a hint
  9. ground — a position
  10. lean — to bend
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. mine — for digging
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. ground — the earth
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. ground — crushed
  24. cue — a signal

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