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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 has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. rock — a stone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. present — the time now
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. present — there
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. clip — a video
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. present — a gift
  16. clip — for paper
  17. spell — letters
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. chair — a leader
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rock — music
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spell — magic
  24. clip — to cut

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