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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. spell — magic
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. track — a path
  9. cue — for pool
  10. rest — what's left
  11. ground — a position
  12. rest — a break
  13. pass — a permit
  14. rest — what's left
  15. ground — the earth
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. track — to keep track
  20. cue — a signal
  21. ground — crushed
  22. track — a song
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. spell — a short time

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