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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. object — an aim
  3. spell — a short time
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. swing — in golf
  11. saw — the tool
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. saw — the tool
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. spell — letters
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. swing — music
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. swing — to play on
  24. fan — a supporter

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