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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. degree — an amount
  5. root — the cause
  6. cell — a phone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. root — of a plant
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. degree — temperature
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. degree — from a university
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — letters
  22. root — of a word
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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