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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: calf · club · hide · fine · spell · squash · sharp · fan

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. fine — all right
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. sharp — clever
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. squash — to crush
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. spell — magic
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. spell — a short time
  22. squash — the sport
  23. fine — high quality
  24. club — a group

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