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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: spell · staff · coach · nail · mine · calf · ball · mark

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mine — for digging
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. staff — employees
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. ball — a great time
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mark — a trace
  13. ball — a dance
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. mark — a grade
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. staff — employees
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. spell — magic
  22. staff — a stick
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spell — a short time

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