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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. rest — a break
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. saw — the tool
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. snap — to click
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. spell — letters
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — a short time
  19. roll — a cake
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. roll — a list
  24. lash — to lash out

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