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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bound — certain
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. last — finally
  7. fine — all right
  8. bound — obliged
  9. spell — letters
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. last — final
  15. rest — what's left
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bound — tied together
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. last — to go on
  20. rest — a break
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fine — high quality

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