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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. roll — a cake
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. hand — in cards
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. bound — obliged
  18. hand — help
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bound — certain
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. pass — a permit
  23. date — the fruit
  24. roll — a list

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