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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. mug — to rob
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spell — magic
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. mine — for digging
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. spell — letters
  14. shower — rain
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. mug — a cup
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. shower — to wash
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mug — a face
  24. straw — dry grass

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