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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. bark — to shout
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. kick — in football
  6. spell — a short time
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. march — music
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. march — the month
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. hand — help
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. march — the month
  23. hand — in cards
  24. spell — letters

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