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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: season · cell · hand · ball · calf · saw · rush · can

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. saw — the tool
  6. season — of the year
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. hand — in cards
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. hand — help
  13. ball — a great time
  14. season — in sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. cell — a phone
  18. rush — hurry
  19. ball — a dance
  20. can — to be able to
  21. cell — in biology
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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