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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 · kid · fine · lash · lean · chair · object · game

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. kid — child
  3. lean — to bend
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. kid — to tease
  6. spell — a short time
  7. object — to protest
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. fine — all right
  10. game — a match
  11. chair — a leader
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — magic
  14. object — an aim
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. object — a thing
  17. fine — high quality
  18. lean — thin
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. game — wild animals
  23. spell — letters
  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