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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — letters
  4. wind — moving air
  5. can — a tin
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. object — to protest
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bass — low music
  12. object — a thing
  13. rash — a series
  14. spell — a short time
  15. mark — a grade
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — an aim
  19. bass — the fish
  20. can — a tin
  21. wind — moving air
  22. can — to be able to
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. mark — to pay attention

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