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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: spell · can · calf · present · patient · clip · fan · mouse

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. can — a tin
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. present — there
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. can — a tin
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. clip — a video
  13. clip — for paper
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. present — the time now
  17. clip — to cut
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — a short time
  21. can — to be able to
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. spell — magic
  24. present — a gift

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