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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — the time now
  5. track — a path
  6. present — a gift
  7. track — a song
  8. staff — employees
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. present — there
  11. perch — the fish
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lean — to bend
  14. lean — thin
  15. track — to keep track
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ground — a position
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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