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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. firm — steady
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. ground — a position
  7. rash — a series
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. firm — a company
  13. drill — army training
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. capital — a city
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. firm — decided
  22. drill — the tool
  23. capital — money
  24. rush — hurry

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