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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 120 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: bound · perch · spell · calf · cell · foot · lash · pitcher

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bound — tied together
  4. spell — letters
  5. cell — in biology
  6. spell — a short time
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. spell — magic
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. cell — a phone
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bound — obliged
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. perch — the fish
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. pitcher — a jug

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