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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: club · fall · hide · calf · field · mate · net · spell

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. field — a subject
  3. fall — the season
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fall — to drop
  6. spell — magic
  7. field — farmland
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. net — in sport
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. club — a group
  13. spell — letters
  14. mate — to breed
  15. net — after costs
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. net — for catching
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. field — for sport
  20. spell — a short time
  21. club — for golf
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — a friend
  24. mate — a partner

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