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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pop — music
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cue — for pool
  6. pop — to visit
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. capital — a city
  15. cue — a signal
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. capital — money
  19. cue — a hint
  20. spell — letters
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. dip — to sink
  23. spell — a short time
  24. pop — soda

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