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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cell — a phone
  10. spell — letters
  11. wax — to grow
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. shower — rain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. cell — in biology
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cell — in a prison

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