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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fork — in a road
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rule — a law
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. saw — the tool
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. rule — government
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. mouse — the animal

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