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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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — for a lock
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — the fish
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. spell — a short time
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. key — in music
  13. rest — what's left
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. key — the most important part
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. rest — what's left
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. wake — before a funeral

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