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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wound — an injury
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. spell — a short time
  10. charge — electricity
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. charge — in control
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bass — low music
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. spell — letters
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. bass — the fish
  24. racket — a loud noise

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