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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. suit — to fit
  3. land — ground
  4. pop — soda
  5. suit — in cards
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — a trail
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ground — a position
  12. ground — the earth
  13. suit — clothes
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. tube — the underground
  16. land — to come down
  17. pop — music
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. tube — a container
  22. land — a country
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. temple — a place of worship

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