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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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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. track — a song
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. spell — magic
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. content — the amount
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. track — to keep track
  16. bulb — for light
  17. mine — for digging
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mark — a trace
  20. track — a path
  21. content — happy
  22. spell — a short time
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. pitcher — a jug

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