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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. board — to get on
  3. foot — a measure
  4. ground — a position
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. degree — from a university
  7. drill — a practice
  8. degree — an amount
  9. drill — the tool
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rash — a series
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. ground — crushed
  14. board — a committee
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. degree — temperature
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. drill — army training
  24. lash — to lash out

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