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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — for money
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bank — of a river
  5. spell — magic
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. bore — to tire
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spell — letters
  14. pound — a weight
  15. snap — to click
  16. craft — a skill
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. bank — for money
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. craft — boats
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bore — to drill
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. pound — for dogs

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