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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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. saw — the tool
  3. roll — a cake
  4. can — a tin
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. saw — the tool
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. bear — the animal
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. spell — letters
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. roll — a list

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