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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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Word bank
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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. spell — a short time
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. foot — a measure
  8. season — of the year
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spell — magic
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. spell — letters
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pound — a weight

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