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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. content — happy
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. press — to push
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. suit — in cards
  13. press — a publisher
  14. content — the amount
  15. press — newspapers
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — a list
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. calf — a young animal

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