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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. rest — a break
  8. craft — a skill
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spring — of water
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a ring
  14. rest — what's left
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. craft — boats
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. bound — certain
  23. spring — a coil
  24. spring — the season

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