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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. spell — magic
  3. firm — a company
  4. fall — to drop
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. chip — for betting
  7. firm — decided
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. spell — letters
  11. chip — to eat
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. fall — to drop
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. fall — the season
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. spell — a short time

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