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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spring — of water
  3. object — an aim
  4. track — to keep track
  5. spell — magic
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. wake — a trail
  10. object — a thing
  11. track — a song
  12. track — a path
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. spring — the season
  17. object — to protest
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. ball — a great time
  21. ball — a dance
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spell — letters
  24. calf — of the leg

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