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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: lie · calf · march · snap · spell · tear · board · root

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. board — a committee
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. root — of a plant
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. board — to get on
  9. spell — a short time
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. march — the month
  12. root — the cause
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. tear — from crying
  17. spell — letters
  18. root — of a word
  19. tear — to rip
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. tear — from crying
  23. snap — to click
  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