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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. suit — in cards
  3. lash — an eyelash
  4. spell — letters
  5. scale — size or range
  6. spell — magic
  7. mate — to breed
  8. can — a tin
  9. chest — of your body
  10. can — to be able to
  11. cap — a lid
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mate — a friend
  14. chest — of your body
  15. scale — in music
  16. suit — clothes
  17. cap — of ice
  18. mate — a partner
  19. spell — a short time
  20. chest — a box
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a hat
  24. lash — to lash out

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