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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — letters
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. race — a contest
  8. shower — rain
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. shower — to wash
  14. fine — high quality
  15. race — humankind
  16. race — the arms race
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fine — all right
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. wake — a trail
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. spell — magic
  24. mouse — the animal

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