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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. rest — a break
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. rest — what's left
  7. spell — letters
  8. cue — a signal
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. cue — for pool
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — a hint
  16. prune — to trim
  17. ball — a dance
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lash — an eyelash

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