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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 120 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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spell — magic
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — of law
  6. hand — help
  7. stock — goods
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stock — shares
  10. court — of a king
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. wake — a trail
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. hand — in cards
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. snap — to click
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. court — for sport
  23. spell — a short time
  24. wake — before a funeral

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