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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bear · wake · roll · land · spell · rash · calf · stick

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. land — to come down
  11. roll — a cake
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. land — ground
  14. spell — a short time
  15. roll — a list
  16. land — a country
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rash — a series
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. rash — hasty

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