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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fine — all right
  3. spell — letters
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — a short time
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fall — the season
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fall — to drop
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fine — high quality

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