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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mug — a cup
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. spell — letters
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — bread
  11. mug — to rob
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. deal — to handle
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mug — a face
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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