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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 · spring · calf · drill · season · ruler · ground · pop

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — magic
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — music
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. season — of the year
  8. spring — the season
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ground — crushed
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. ground — the earth
  13. drill — a practice
  14. spring — of water
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. ground — a position
  18. pop — to visit
  19. drill — the tool
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. pop — soda
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. drill — army training

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