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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. object — an aim
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bear — the animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. charge — electricity
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — for digging
  10. bound — tied together
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. bound — obliged
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. charge — in control
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. object — a thing
  19. bound — certain
  20. charge — a price
  21. fork — in a road
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bear — the animal
  24. mine — an explosive

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