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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 116 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: calf · wave · spell · hand · saw · club

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. 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. saw — the tool
  3. spell — a short time
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. club — a group
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. hand — in cards
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — help
  15. club — for dancing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. 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