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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. squash — to crush
  3. march — the month
  4. staff — employees
  5. ground — crushed
  6. march — music
  7. staff — a stick
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. march — the month
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. staff — employees
  14. net — after costs
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. squash — the sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ground — the earth
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. wind — moving air
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. hide — to keep secret

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