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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: pop · wound · calf · wind · dip · spell · plane · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pop — soda
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. wind — moving air
  5. pop — music
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spell — letters
  8. plane — a tool
  9. wound — an injury
  10. wound — an injury
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. spell — magic
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wind — moving air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pop — to visit
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. foot — a measure
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. spell — a short time

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