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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. season — of the year
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — thin
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. lean — to bend
  8. season — in sport
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. mug — a cup
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. bear — the animal
  17. mug — to rob
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. spell — letters
  20. mug — a face
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. safe — a strongbox
  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