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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fine — all right
  9. bass — the fish
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. shower — rain
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. staff — employees
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. club — a group
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. bass — low music
  23. staff — a stick
  24. staff — employees

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