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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: ground · firm · game · sharp · lash · snap · ball · charge

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. game — a match
  5. firm — a company
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. game — wild animals
  11. ground — crushed
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. firm — steady
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. ground — a position
  19. charge — a price
  20. firm — decided
  21. charge — electricity
  22. snap — to click
  23. charge — in control
  24. ground — the earth

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