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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. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. wind — moving air
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. charge — a price
  6. spell — magic
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. firm — decided
  9. charge — in control
  10. season — of the year
  11. spell — letters
  12. date — the fruit
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. season — in sport
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. charge — electricity
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. firm — steady
  21. spell — a short time
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. wind — moving air
  24. firm — a company

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