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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. spell — letters
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. fine — all right
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. pit — a hole
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. fine — high quality
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. lash — to lash out

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