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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. game — a match
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. can — a tin
  6. bore — to tire
  7. can — a tin
  8. spell — letters
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. sharp — clever
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pit — a hole
  14. game — wild animals
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pit — in a race
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. spell — magic
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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