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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. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. key — the most important part
  5. spell — magic
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. cold — an illness
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. key — in music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. spell — letters
  19. key — for a lock
  20. cold — not warm
  21. lean — thin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pit — in a race
  24. lean — to bend

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