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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 felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. root — of a word
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. scale — in music
  5. bound — tied together
  6. scale — size or range
  7. last — final
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spell — magic
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. last — to go on
  14. bound — certain
  15. last — finally
  16. spell — letters
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. root — the cause
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. root — of a plant
  24. spell — a short time

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