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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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. spell — a short time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. hand — help
  8. stand — to bear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spell — letters
  11. hand — in cards
  12. spell — magic
  13. net — in sport
  14. face — to confront
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. toast — bread
  18. net — after costs
  19. net — for catching
  20. face — to point toward
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. rash — hasty
  23. face — part of the head
  24. rash — on the skin

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