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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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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. rush — to hurry
  2. spell — magic
  3. drill — army training
  4. sharp — clever
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. present — the time now
  9. drill — a practice
  10. season — of the year
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rush — hurry
  16. present — there
  17. spell — letters
  18. firm — decided
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. firm — steady
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. present — a gift
  23. firm — a company
  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