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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: spell · present · calf · saw · firm · dip · field · mouse

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. present — a gift
  4. spell — a short time
  5. present — there
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. dip — to sink
  8. field — farmland
  9. saw — the tool
  10. present — the time now
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — the tool
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. field — a subject
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. firm — a company
  23. field — for sport
  24. calf — a young animal

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