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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  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 — a position
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. lean — thin
  5. drill — the tool
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ground — the earth
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. drill — army training
  22. drill — a practice
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  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