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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 120 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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — a position
  6. deal — to handle
  7. spell — letters
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wind — moving air
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. can — a tin
  14. mark — a grade
  15. can — a tin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. ground — crushed
  24. can — to be able to

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