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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.

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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spell — letters
  7. bound — obliged
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bound — certain
  10. face — part of the head
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rock — a stone
  13. face — to confront
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spell — magic
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bear — the animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. kick — in football
  21. face — to point toward
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rock — music
  24. calf — a young animal

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