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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.

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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: mark · lash · pitcher · fall · spell · shower · wave · mine

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — magic
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. fall — the season
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spell — letters
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. shower — rain
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — a whip stroke
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. mark — a grade

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