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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. band — a music group
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lean — thin
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. dip — to sink
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. wake — a trail
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. lean — to bend
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — a short time
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. hand — help
  22. band — a ring
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to dunk

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