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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 116 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 ________________ the meat?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  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 — magic
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. squash — to crush
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. file — a document
  6. season — in sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spell — a short time
  9. spell — letters
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. lean — to bend
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. lean — thin
  15. squash — the sport
  16. file — a line of people
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. season — of the year
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. file — a tool
  23. plane — a tool
  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