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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: hand · lash · spell · rule · cell · safe · pop · dip

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pop — soda
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. spell — magic
  5. rule — a law
  6. pop — music
  7. spell — letters
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. rule — government
  13. pop — to visit
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cell — in biology
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cell — a phone
  19. spell — a short time
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. hand — help
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. hand — part of the body

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