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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. last — finally
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rock — music
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. last — final
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — letters
  15. lie — to recline
  16. spell — magic
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bound — tied together
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bound — certain
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. last — to go on
  24. rock — to move gently

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