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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: foot · last · net · deal · ground · spell · firm · lash

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. last — finally
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ground — crushed
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — letters
  10. ground — a position
  11. net — for catching
  12. ground — the earth
  13. net — after costs
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. net — in sport
  16. spell — a short time
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. deal — to handle
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. firm — decided
  23. lash — an eyelash
  24. spell — magic

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