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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. spell — magic
  5. mate — to breed
  6. staff — employees
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — a stick
  9. spring — of water
  10. spell — letters
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wound — an injury
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. spring — a coil
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spell — a short time
  21. mate — a partner
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mate — a friend
  24. spring — the season

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