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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — magic
  4. bear — the animal
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bat — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. spring — the season
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. spring — a coil
  16. present — a gift
  17. rock — music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. present — the time now
  20. rock — a stone
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. spring — of water
  23. present — there
  24. lash — to lash out

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