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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. chest — a box
  3. lean — to bend
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chest — of your body
  12. root — of a word
  13. snap — to click
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spell — letters
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. lean — thin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. root — the cause
  23. root — of a plant
  24. chest — of your body

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