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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 116 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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. staff — a stick
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. staff — employees
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. spell — letters
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. spell — magic
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. staff — employees
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — a short time
  17. content — the amount
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a hole
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — a permit
  24. content — happy

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