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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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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. bear — the animal
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. last — finally
  8. last — to go on
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wound — an injury
  11. band — a ring
  12. lean — to bend
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. last — final
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. band — a music group
  19. lean — thin
  20. bear — the animal
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. spell — letters
  24. foot — a measure

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