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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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. kid — to tease
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. pass — a permit
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bank — of a river
  10. board — to get on
  11. press — newspapers
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fine — all right
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. kid — child
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. board — a committee
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bank — for money
  22. press — to push
  23. bank — for money
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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