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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. rash — a series
  5. bound — certain
  6. race — a contest
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bound — tied together
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. spell — a short time
  12. charge — electricity
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. race — the arms race
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — obliged
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. spell — letters
  22. race — humankind
  23. charge — in control
  24. charge — a price

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