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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 120 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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chip — to eat
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. tear — from crying
  11. chip — for betting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. tear — to rip
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. spell — magic
  20. pass — a permit
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. spell — letters
  24. lash — an eyelash

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