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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. craft — boats
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. spell — letters
  6. ball — a great time
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. shower — to wash
  10. net — after costs
  11. craft — a skill
  12. pass — a permit
  13. ball — a dance
  14. pit — a hole
  15. net — for catching
  16. shower — rain
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. net — in sport
  19. spell — magic
  20. pit — in a race
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. spell — a short time

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