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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: dip · rock · clip · foot · fan · rash · spring · calf

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. clip — a video
  3. foot — a measure
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rock — music
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spring — of water
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rash — a series
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. clip — to cut
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spring — the season
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rash — hasty
  19. clip — for paper
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. foot — the bottom

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