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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — a short time
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. firm — steady
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. net — after costs
  10. root — of a plant
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. firm — a company
  13. staff — employees
  14. net — in sport
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. spell — letters
  17. root — the cause
  18. wound — an injury
  19. firm — decided
  20. root — of a word
  21. spell — magic
  22. staff — employees
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. wound — an injury

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