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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: spell · bat · calf · cap · drill · foot · current · wind

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. wind — moving air
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. spell — letters
  9. cap — a hat
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. current — happening now
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. cap — of ice
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. cap — a lid
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. foot — a measure
  24. drill — army training

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