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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 116 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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. ground — a position
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. sharp — clever
  8. perch — the fish
  9. can — a tin
  10. wind — moving air
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. club — for golf
  13. spell — letters
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. spell — magic
  16. club — for dancing
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — a group
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ground — crushed
  21. can — to be able to
  22. can — a tin
  23. wind — moving air
  24. lash — to lash out

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