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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.

Words on the sheet
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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hand — help
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. rest — a break
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. rest — what's left
  18. spell — magic
  19. hand — in cards
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ball — a great time
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. ball — a dance

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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