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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: spell · lash · snap · rush · court · fine · dip · pit

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fine — high quality
  3. spell — magic
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. dip — to sink
  8. spell — letters
  9. snap — to click
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fine — all right
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. pit — in a race
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. court — for sport
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. pit — a hole

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