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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 116 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bound — obliged
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. bound — certain
  6. rush — hurry
  7. bound — tied together
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fall — to drop
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. dip — to sink
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. spell — letters
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. spell — a short time

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