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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. present — a gift
  3. ball — a dance
  4. fine — high quality
  5. net — after costs
  6. rock — a stone
  7. fine — all right
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. spell — magic
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. present — there
  14. present — the time now
  15. rock — music
  16. spell — letters
  17. season — of the year
  18. net — in sport
  19. net — for catching
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ball — a great time
  24. season — in sport

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