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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — a short time
  3. tear — from crying
  4. face — to point toward
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. tear — to rip
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. spell — letters
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rash — a series
  18. spell — magic
  19. face — to confront
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. calf — a young animal

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