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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. last — finally
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. net — for catching
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. net — in sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. chip — to eat
  8. spell — magic
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — a short time
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. net — after costs
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. last — final
  22. spell — letters
  23. chip — for betting
  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