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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 120 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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. rest — what's left
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rash — hasty
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rash — a series
  7. land — a country
  8. shower — rain
  9. land — to come down
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. land — ground
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. foot — a measure

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