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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 ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. spell — a short time
  6. land — to come down
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — magic
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. root — of a word
  13. wound — an injury
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. land — a country
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. content — happy
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. land — ground
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. wound — an injury
  22. root — the cause
  23. content — the amount
  24. root — of a plant

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