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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. row — a line
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fall — to drop
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — music
  11. spell — letters
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. row — to paddle
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. fall — to drop
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. fall — the season
  24. swing — to play on

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