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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hand — help
  3. firm — a company
  4. key — the most important part
  5. key — in music
  6. bound — certain
  7. firm — decided
  8. spell — a short time
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. spell — letters
  19. stock — shares
  20. bound — obliged
  21. key — for a lock
  22. firm — steady
  23. stock — goods
  24. bound — tied together

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