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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. fine — all right
  3. rock — a stone
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. rock — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. rash — a series
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fine — high quality
  12. spell — letters
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. spell — a short time
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. spell — magic
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. rock — to move gently

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