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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: present · straw · lash · spell · saw · bass · pitch · ground

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. ground — the earth
  4. pitch — completely
  5. saw — the tool
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — the time now
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. ground — crushed
  12. spell — magic
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. present — a gift
  18. ground — a position
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. present — there

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