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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. spell — magic
  7. spring — of water
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — a hole
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. spring — the season
  16. pit — in a race
  17. spring — a coil
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. wax — to grow
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mine — belonging to me

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