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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: calf · mine · spell · kick · pound · fan · plane · deal

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. kick — in football
  5. pound — a weight
  6. mine — for digging
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. plane — a tool
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. spell — magic
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — to handle

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