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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  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 — letters
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. spell — a short time
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tear — from crying
  11. net — after costs
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. firm — steady
  14. net — for catching
  15. tear — to rip
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. net — in sport
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — magic
  21. firm — decided
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. firm — a company
  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