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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 120 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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. spell — letters
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. spell — a short time
  11. sharp — clever
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. wind — moving air
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — a permit
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. wake — a trail
  23. can — a tin
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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