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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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bound — certain
  3. bat — the animal
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. spell — letters

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