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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. dip — to sink
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fine — high quality
  5. spell — letters
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. spell — magic
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. lean — thin
  15. spell — a short time
  16. lean — to bend
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. season — in sport
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. season — to add flavour

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