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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 reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. spell — magic
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. spell — letters
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pit — a hole
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pit — in a race
  14. saw — the tool
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. bound — certain
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. saw — the tool
  23. spell — a short time
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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