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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: wake · file · pitch · calf · rest · coach · spell · fan

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. rest — what's left
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. file — a tool
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — magic
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — a break
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. spell — letters
  19. wake — a trail
  20. file — a document
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. file — a line of people
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — completely

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