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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — magic
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. rash — a series
  6. club — for dancing
  7. pop — to visit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. spell — letters
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. toast — bread
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for golf
  19. hand — in cards
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. club — a group
  22. pop — music
  23. hand — help
  24. pop — soda

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