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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. present — there
  5. spell — letters
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spell — magic
  9. bass — low music
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. present — a gift
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. spring — a coil
  22. rush — hurry
  23. bass — the fish
  24. present — the time 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