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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 who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. key — in music
  3. chest — of your body
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. key — the most important part
  9. spell — magic
  10. chest — of your body
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. spell — letters
  14. fall — to drop
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. season — in sport
  17. key — for a lock
  18. chest — a box
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. season — of the year
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. fall — the season
  24. bowl — a dish

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