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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. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chest — of your body
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. root — of a plant
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. chest — a box
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — the cause
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ground — a position
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitch — completely
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. root — of a word
  22. craft — boats
  23. craft — a skill
  24. ground — crushed

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