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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. staff — employees
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. spell — letters
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. chip — for betting
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. staff — a stick
  9. stock — goods
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stock — shares
  12. wind — moving air
  13. spell — a short time
  14. craft — boats
  15. wind — moving air
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. staff — employees
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. craft — a skill
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. chip — to eat
  24. craft — a handicraft

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