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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 124 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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. row — a line
  6. row — to paddle
  7. can — a tin
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. spell — a short time
  10. can — a tin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bound — obliged
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — letters
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. can — to be able to
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. bound — certain

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