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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.

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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: mate · rock · spell · saw · calf · field · firm · lash

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. field — for sport
  6. mate — to breed
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. rock — music
  10. firm — a company
  11. field — farmland
  12. spell — letters
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. field — a subject
  17. rock — a stone
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. spell — a short time
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mate — a friend
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. firm — decided
  24. spell — magic

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