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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. fall — to drop
  4. spell — a short time
  5. fall — the season
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. fine — all right
  8. roll — a cake
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — to handle
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. firm — a company
  13. roll — a list
  14. firm — decided
  15. fine — high quality
  16. spell — letters
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. face — to confront
  19. face — to point toward
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. face — part of the head
  22. fall — to drop
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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