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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pit — a hole
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. spell — letters
  6. object — an aim
  7. band — a ring
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pit — in a race
  10. spell — magic
  11. object — to protest
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. hand — help
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. band — a music group
  23. object — a thing
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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