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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. key — the most important part
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. ground — crushed
  7. ground — the earth
  8. last — to go on
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. key — in music
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. last — final
  17. key — for a lock
  18. spell — magic
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wax — to grow
  22. spell — letters
  23. last — finally
  24. ground — a position

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