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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. present — there
  3. squash — to crush
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. spell — letters
  15. present — a gift
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. roll — a cake
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. roll — a list
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. present — the time now

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