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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. current — of water
  3. spell — a short time
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. face — part of the head
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. face — to point toward
  14. toast — bread
  15. current — electric
  16. roll — a list
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. roll — a cake
  19. spell — letters
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. face — to confront
  24. current — happening 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