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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 asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. spring — the season
  5. bark — to shout
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. spell — letters
  8. spring — a coil
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spring — of water
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. clip — a video
  18. clip — for paper
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. pass — a permit
  24. clip — to cut

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