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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. kick — in football
  6. vault — a safe
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. charge — electricity
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. spell — a short time
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. present — the time now
  15. present — there
  16. charge — in control
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. fork — in a road
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. present — a gift
  22. wax — to grow
  23. charge — a price
  24. bat — the animal

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