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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.

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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. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. spell — a short time
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. spell — magic
  5. row — to paddle
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. charge — electricity
  8. row — a line
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. charge — in control
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. spell — letters
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. wake — a trail
  18. racket — a loud noise

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