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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. deal — to handle
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. spell — a short time
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. race — humankind
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. race — a contest
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stand — to bear
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stand — for spectators
  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