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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. roll — a list
  3. last — final
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spell — magic
  6. last — finally
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. wake — a trail
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pound — a weight
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. last — to go on
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. rush — to hurry

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