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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spell — magic
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chest — of your body
  11. spell — a short time
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. chest — a box
  14. mate — a friend
  15. snap — to click
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. kick — in football
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mate — a partner
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. chest — of your body

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