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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: safe · pop · ground · lash · saw · last · cue · present

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. ground — a position
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. present — there
  7. cue — for pool
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pop — soda
  14. cue — a signal
  15. last — to go on
  16. present — the time now
  17. saw — the tool
  18. present — a gift
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — a hint
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. saw — the tool

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