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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. spell — a short time
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. drill — army training
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. shower — rain
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spell — magic
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. stand — to bear
  17. shower — to wash
  18. drill — a practice
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. drill — the tool
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. spell — letters
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. lash — an eyelash

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