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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.

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: bear · wound · cabinet · calf · mark · lean · straw · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bear — the animal
  6. lean — to bend
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bear — the animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wound — an injury
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. spell — magic
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — thin
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. mark — a trace

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