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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  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. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spell — magic
  6. staff — employees
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. file — a tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. pop — soda
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. file — a document
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. pop — music
  18. staff — a stick
  19. bank — of a river
  20. staff — employees
  21. file — a line of people
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pop — to visit
  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