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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 116 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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. bound — tied together
  4. rock — music
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bound — obliged
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bound — certain
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. track — a path
  14. track — a song
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. track — to keep track
  18. spell — letters
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. spell — a short time
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fork — in a road

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