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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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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 · rash · bear · ball · snap · swing · ground · rule

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rule — a law
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rash — a series
  11. rule — government
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. swing — music
  15. swing — to play on
  16. ground — the earth
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. snap — to click
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — a position
  21. bear — the animal
  22. lie — to recline
  23. swing — in golf
  24. rash — hasty

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