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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. drill — a practice
  3. tube — a container
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. tube — the underground
  8. spell — magic
  9. vault — a safe
  10. mine — for digging
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. drill — army training
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. spell — a short time
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. ruler — for measuring

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