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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — the fruit
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ground — a position
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. court — for sport
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. court — of law
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — of a king
  23. rest — a break
  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