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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. fork — in a road
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. kid — to tease
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — electric
  10. shower — rain
  11. spell — letters
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. shower — to wash
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. current — happening now
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. current — of water
  19. spell — magic
  20. kid — child
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. bowl — to roll

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