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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — to handle
  9. branch — a division
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wake — a trail
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. spell — magic

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