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

Word bank: cue · lash · last · nail · arm · ground · bowl · pit

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — a position
  7. last — to go on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ground — crushed
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pit — a hole

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