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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. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. key — the most important part
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — a short time
  7. key — in music
  8. bass — low music
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bass — the fish
  14. spell — letters
  15. branch — a division
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. band — a ring
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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