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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: lie · field · mouse · lash · ground · bulb · coach · pit

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bulb — for light
  4. field — farmland
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ground — crushed
  8. field — for sport
  9. bulb — for light
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. field — a subject
  18. ground — a position
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — in a race
  21. pit — a hole
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. lie — to recline

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