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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 116 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.

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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: calf · nail · stem · mug · pitch · spell · shower · stand

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. shower — rain
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. mug — to rob
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. shower — to wash
  8. spell — magic
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mug — a cup
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. pitch — completely
  20. stem — to come from
  21. spell — a short time
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — a face
  24. nail — for a hammer

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