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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bank — for money
  10. march — the month
  11. tube — a container
  12. march — music
  13. tube — the underground
  14. ground — a position
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. march — the month
  17. ground — the earth
  18. game — a match
  19. bank — of a river
  20. game — wild animals
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — clothes
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. bank — for money

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