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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.

Make a worksheet

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
YesNo
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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: spell · ruler · mine · spring · lash · perch · hand · hide

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. mine — for digging
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. spring — a coil
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. hand — help
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. perch — the fish
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. hand — in cards
  22. spell — letters
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mine — belonging to me

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