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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — an eyelash
  2. sharp — clever
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. rock — music
  7. bear — the animal
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rock — a stone
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. march — the month
  14. rash — a series
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spell — a short time
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. spell — magic
  24. spell — letters

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