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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 120 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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — there
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. kid — child
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. present — a gift
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. kid — to tease
  15. chair — a leader
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. foot — a measure
  18. spell — letters
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. pass — a permit
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. deal — to handle

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