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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rule — a law
  8. rash — a series
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. spell — letters
  11. rule — government
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — to drop
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — hasty
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. spell — a short time
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. fall — to drop
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fall — the season
  24. wind — moving air

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