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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · pass · spell · lash · tear · pitcher · drill · roll

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. spell — letters
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. drill — army training
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. roll — a list
  8. drill — the tool
  9. spell — a short time
  10. suit — to fit
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. tear — from crying
  13. suit — in cards
  14. spell — magic
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. tear — from crying
  20. roll — a cake
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. pass — a permit
  24. roll — on a roll

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