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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. spell — a short time
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. bulb — for light
  6. last — to go on
  7. last — final
  8. ball — a great time
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. spell — letters
  11. bulb — for light
  12. march — music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. ball — a dance
  15. spell — magic
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. last — finally
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. march — the month
  21. foot — a measure
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. march — the month

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