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

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. spell — magic
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mine — for digging
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rock — music

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