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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. rush — hurry
  3. spell — magic
  4. land — ground
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. rock — music
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pit — in a race
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. pit — a hole
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. spell — letters
  23. fork — in a road
  24. rush — to hurry

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