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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. kick — in football
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a dance
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. mate — a partner
  13. spell — a short time
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. mate — to breed
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. mate — a friend
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — letters
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. ball — a great time
  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