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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.

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: fall · season · calf · wind · hide · sharp · pitcher · ball

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fall — the season
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. sharp — clever
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. season — of the year
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. ball — a dance
  18. wind — moving air
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. season — in sport
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. fall — to drop
  24. pitcher — a jug

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