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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. spell — magic
  5. spell — letters
  6. suit — clothes
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. fall — to drop
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. spell — a short time
  12. field — a subject
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. field — for sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. suit — to fit
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — the tool
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. fall — the season
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. fall — to drop
  23. suit — in cards
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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