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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 116 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 is an ace ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. spell — magic
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. race — the arms race
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. rest — a break
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. rest — what's left
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bat — the animal
  18. spell — letters
  19. race — humankind
  20. race — a contest
  21. band — a music group
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. band — a ring

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