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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 120 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. rash — hasty
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bass — low music
  7. foot — a measure
  8. spell — magic
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. rash — a series
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bass — the fish
  16. shower — to wash
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. craft — a skill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. shower — rain
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — letters

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