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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. ground — the earth
  3. roll — a cake
  4. bark — to shout
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. ball — a great time
  9. roll — a list
  10. last — final
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a dance
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bulb — for light
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. ground — a position
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. last — to go on

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