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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
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: prune · calf · wound · track · kick · spell · bowl · dip

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — a path
  5. wound — an injury
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. spell — a short time
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. kick — in football
  10. track — to keep track
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wound — an injury
  13. dip — to sink
  14. track — a song
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. prune — to trim
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. spell — letters
  24. dip — to dunk

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