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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. firm — decided
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. mine — for digging
  7. firm — a company
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. deal — to handle
  10. spell — letters
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. firm — steady
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. spell — a short time
  18. craft — boats
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — a skill
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. racket — a loud noise

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