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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fan · hand · pop · calf · leaves · pass · spell · staff

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. spell — letters
  3. pass — a permit
  4. pop — soda
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. hand — help
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. staff — employees
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. spell — a short time
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — magic
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pop — music

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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