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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. present — the time now
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. present — a gift
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. present — there
  7. foot — a measure
  8. fall — the season
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fall — to drop
  13. scale — in music
  14. spell — letters
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. spell — magic
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. scale — size or range
  20. saw — the tool
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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