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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cap — a hat
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cap — a lid
  5. kid — to tease
  6. firm — a company
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. firm — decided
  9. march — the month
  10. fine — all right
  11. march — music
  12. spell — magic
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. firm — steady
  15. cap — of ice
  16. spell — a short time
  17. march — the month
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fine — high quality
  20. kid — child
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. lash — to lash out

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