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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spring — of water
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. fall — to drop
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. key — in music
  12. spring — the season
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. spring — a coil
  16. spell — letters
  17. vault — a safe
  18. key — for a lock
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fall — to drop
  23. spell — a short time
  24. fall — the season

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