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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. plane — a tool
  5. bound — certain
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. spell — magic
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — clothes
  19. bound — obliged
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. bound — tied together
  22. suit — in cards
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. present — the time now

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