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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.

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: leaves · lash · fork · mug · game · spell · ball · hand

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mug — to rob
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. ball — a great time
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. hand — in cards
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. game — a match
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. spell — letters
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mug — a face
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — in a road
  22. ball — a dance
  23. hand — help
  24. spell — a short time

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