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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. track — a path
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. lean — thin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. spell — a short time
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spell — magic
  18. content — happy
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. track — to keep track
  22. content — the amount
  23. lean — to bend
  24. spell — letters

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