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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.

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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: fork · calf · clip · cabinet · rush · deal · saw · spell

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. clip — for paper
  9. spell — magic
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. clip — a video
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. clip — to cut
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. spell — letters
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. fork — in a road
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. saw — the tool

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