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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. season — in sport
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. ground — a position
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. march — music
  13. wound — an injury
  14. ground — crushed
  15. march — the month
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. spell — magic
  18. face — part of the head
  19. march — the month
  20. face — to point toward
  21. wound — an injury
  22. face — to confront
  23. season — of the year
  24. fan — a supporter

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