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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 124 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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — letters
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. spell — a short time
  5. lean — to bend
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. bound — obliged
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. lean — thin
  15. kick — in football
  16. wake — a trail
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bound — certain
  19. bound — tied together
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. jam — in traffic

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