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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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Word bank
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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spell — letters
  3. fine — all right
  4. bass — low music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — a short time
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. saw — the tool
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bass — the fish
  16. wake — a trail
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. spell — magic
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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