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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a music group
  6. field — farmland
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. spell — letters
  9. field — a subject
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. race — humankind
  12. spring — of water
  13. spring — the season
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. race — a contest
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. race — the arms race
  22. field — for sport
  23. spring — a coil
  24. band — a rubber band

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