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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
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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: field · straw · spell · calf · bay · rush · staff · race

  1. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. spell — letters
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. field — a subject
  9. race — a contest
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. rush — hurry
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — farmland
  19. race — humankind
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. spell — magic
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — the arms race
  24. spell — a short time

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