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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.

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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 · spell · net · rush · mug · pound · roll · cell

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. cell — in biology
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — a short time
  8. mug — a face
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. mug — a cup
  14. pound — a weight
  15. net — after costs
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. net — for catching
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — in sport
  21. roll — a list
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. mug — to rob

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