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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. rash — hasty
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. spell — a short time
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. hand — help
  8. capital — money
  9. band — a ring
  10. capital — a city
  11. rash — a series
  12. band — a music group
  13. lean — to bend
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. spell — magic
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lean — thin
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. spell — letters
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. band — a rubber band

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