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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 116 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. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. squash — the sport
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. perch — the fish
  7. squash — to crush
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. spell — letters
  11. bore — to drill
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. race — the arms race
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. chair — a leader
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. wake — a trail
  20. race — a contest
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. spell — magic
  23. race — humankind
  24. bore — to tire

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