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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
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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 · spell · hide · field · sharp · kid · root · cue

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. sharp — clever
  3. cue — a signal
  4. spell — letters
  5. kid — to tease
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a word
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. root — the cause
  10. field — a subject
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. root — of a plant
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. kid — child
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. field — farmland
  22. spell — magic
  23. field — for sport
  24. sharp — exactly

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