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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. content — happy
  3. present — there
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. board — to get on
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. present — a gift
  10. fine — all right
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. present — the time now
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. spell — a short time
  18. board — a committee
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. fine — high quality
  22. content — the amount
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. fine — a penalty

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