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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. spell — letters
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. root — the cause
  6. root — of a plant
  7. current — electric
  8. mine — for digging
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. ball — a dance
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. foot — a measure
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. current — happening now
  20. root — of a word
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. ball — a great time
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. current — of water

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