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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. net — in sport
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. net — for catching
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. mine — for digging
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. race — a contest
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. race — the arms race
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. race — humankind
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lash — an eyelash

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