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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. wound — an injury
  3. spell — a short time
  4. face — part of the head
  5. wound — an injury
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. spell — magic
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. face — to confront
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spell — letters
  24. face — to point toward

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