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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: spell · game · key · wake · calf · wind · chair · mark

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wind — moving air
  3. mark — a trace
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — letters
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. game — wild animals
  10. game — a match
  11. mark — a grade
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. key — the most important part
  14. chair — a leader
  15. wake — a trail
  16. wind — moving air
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. key — for a lock
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. spell — a short time
  23. key — in music
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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