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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. spell — magic
  5. bass — the fish
  6. spell — a short time
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. bound — obliged
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. bass — low music
  11. bound — certain
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spell — letters
  19. mate — to breed
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. date — the fruit
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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