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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. object — to protest
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. rest — a break
  8. spell — letters
  9. kick — in football
  10. object — a thing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. rest — what's left
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — an aim
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. court — of law
  24. calf — a young animal

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