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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rock — music
  5. object — an aim
  6. chip — to eat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. present — the time now
  9. season — of the year
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. spell — letters
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. rock — a stone
  16. object — a thing
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. season — in sport
  20. present — there
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. object — to protest
  24. chip — for betting

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