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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. saw — the tool
  4. march — music
  5. spring — a coil
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. march — the month
  18. spring — of water
  19. spring — the season
  20. toast — bread
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. march — the month
  24. object — an aim

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