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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
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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: pitcher · spell · date · calf · wind · cabinet · fine · pass

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. wind — moving air
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — all right
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. date — the fruit
  10. spell — letters
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. spell — a short time
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. fine — high quality
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. wind — to turn a key
  23. spell — magic
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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