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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 tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. charge — a price
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. field — farmland
  5. ground — a position
  6. charge — electricity
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. present — the time now
  9. ground — crushed
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. face — to confront
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. face — part of the head
  14. present — there
  15. ground — the earth
  16. toast — bread
  17. charge — in control
  18. spell — magic
  19. field — a subject
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spell — letters
  22. present — a gift
  23. face — to point toward
  24. field — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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