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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 116 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: mug · spell · lash · present · land · sharp · mine · bear

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. present — a gift
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. mug — to rob
  5. present — the time now
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. land — ground
  8. spell — letters
  9. present — there
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. land — a country
  12. mug — a cup
  13. mug — a face
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. spell — a short time
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. land — to come down
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spell — magic
  22. bear — the animal
  23. mine — for digging
  24. bear — the animal

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