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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: content · bear · sharp · snap · coach · ground · lash · present

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. content — the amount
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — the time now
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bear — the animal
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. ground — a position
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. present — there
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. bear — the animal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. content — happy

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