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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. wind — moving air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. spell — magic
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. wind — moving air
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — letters

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