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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. present — a gift
  3. spell — letters
  4. roll — a list
  5. roll — a cake
  6. chip — to eat
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. present — there
  10. present — the time now
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bore — to drill
  19. staff — employees
  20. bass — the fish
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. bass — low music
  24. bore — to tire

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