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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. spell — a short time
  3. net — for catching
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. net — after costs
  6. spell — magic
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. track — a song
  9. spell — letters
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. last — final
  12. suit — in cards
  13. track — to keep track
  14. track — a path
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. hand — help
  18. last — to go on
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. net — in sport
  21. last — finally
  22. suit — to fit
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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