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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. lean — thin
  6. spell — letters
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spell — a short time
  10. club — for dancing
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. lean — to bend
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. spell — magic
  17. club — for golf
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. club — a group
  20. present — the time now
  21. roll — a cake
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. present — there
  24. roll — a list

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