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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 120 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stem — to come from
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. mate — a partner
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a friend
  10. sharp — clever
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mine — for digging

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