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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 120 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. row — a line
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mug — a cup
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. rash — a series
  7. object — a thing
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mug — a face
  11. rash — hasty
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. object — an aim
  14. tear — from crying
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. tear — from crying
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. mug — to rob
  20. row — to paddle
  21. object — to protest
  22. spell — letters
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. rash — on the skin

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