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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. spell — a short time
  4. squash — the sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. march — the month
  7. pitch — completely
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. vault — a safe
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. squash — to crush
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lie — to recline
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. march — the month
  23. march — music
  24. racket — for tennis

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