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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. last — final
  3. spell — a short time
  4. drill — army training
  5. spell — magic
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. drill — a practice
  11. last — finally
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. ball — a dance
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. row — to paddle
  16. row — a line
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ball — a great time
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. drill — the tool
  22. spell — letters
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. last — to go on

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