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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. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bound — obliged
  3. rest — what's left
  4. fine — all right
  5. firm — a company
  6. spell — magic
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fine — high quality
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. rest — a break
  12. bound — certain
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. bound — tied together
  16. firm — decided
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. firm — steady
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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