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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. file — a tool
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. fall — to drop
  8. fall — the season
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. craft — a skill
  11. craft — boats
  12. chip — for betting
  13. file — a document
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. chip — to eat
  19. file — a line of people
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. fork — in a road
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. calf — of the leg

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