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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. band — a music group
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — thin
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. stock — goods
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. spell — letters
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. lean — to bend
  12. spell — a short time
  13. stock — shares
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. spell — magic
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mark — a grade
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a trace

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