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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
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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: wake · calf · spell · bay · bowl · ground · net · nail

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. spell — a short time
  8. net — in sport
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ground — the earth
  21. wake — a trail
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spell — magic
  24. ground — a position

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