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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 120 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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. spell — magic
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — to protest
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. object — a thing
  9. bear — the animal
  10. court — of law
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. bear — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. object — an aim
  17. spell — letters
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. court — for sport
  20. saw — the tool
  21. court — of a king
  22. spell — a short time
  23. foot — a measure
  24. arm — a part of something

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