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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. present — a gift
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mug — a cup
  10. can — a tin
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. present — there
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mug — to rob
  15. spell — letters
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. present — the time now
  18. roll — a list
  19. mug — a face
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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