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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. court — for sport
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. spell — letters
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. court — of law
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. court — of a king
  24. bowl — to roll

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