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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: calf · straw · object · toast · hand · present · wound · spell

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. present — there
  3. object — an aim
  4. spell — a short time
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. present — the time now
  7. spell — magic
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. spell — letters
  12. object — to protest
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — in cards
  15. wound — an injury
  16. toast — bread
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. object — a thing
  20. present — a gift
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. wound — an injury
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. calf — a young animal

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