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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — letters
  4. fine — high quality
  5. roll — a cake
  6. can — to be able to
  7. suit — to fit
  8. roll — a list
  9. court — for sport
  10. spell — a short time
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — the tool
  13. court — of a king
  14. can — a tin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. can — a tin
  17. suit — in cards
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. drill — a practice
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. court — of law
  24. spell — magic

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