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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.

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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: stick · wound · spell · lash · kid · ball · rest · dip

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. rest — what's left
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. ball — a dance
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rest — what's left
  11. dip — to sink
  12. wound — an injury
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. kid — to tease
  15. rest — a break
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ball — a great time
  18. kid — child
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. spell — a short time
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. dip — to dunk

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