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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. hand — in cards
  5. spring — of water
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cap — a hat
  8. cap — a lid
  9. spell — magic
  10. spring — a coil
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — letters
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. deal — to handle
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — help
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. spell — a short time
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. mouse — for a computer

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