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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.

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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. 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. calf — of the leg
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. rest — what's left
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. spell — letters
  18. 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