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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. spell — letters
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. swing — to play on
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mine — for digging
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. swing — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. vault — a safe
  17. kick — in football
  18. spell — a short time
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. swing — in golf
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. calf — of the leg

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