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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: season · kick · game · lean · fan · pound · calf · spell

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — of the year
  5. spell — magic
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pound — a weight
  8. season — in sport
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. game — a match
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. kick — in football
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — letters
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. spell — a short time
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. lean — thin
  23. game — wild animals
  24. calf — a young animal

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