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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. can — a tin
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. pound — a weight
  9. can — to be able to
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. spell — letters
  13. bulb — for light
  14. clip — to cut
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. can — a tin
  19. clip — a video
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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