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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: plane · sharp · season · spell · calf · cue · deal · squash

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  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. squash — the sport
  2. season — of the year
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. cue — a signal
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. sharp — clever
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. spell — magic
  11. season — in sport
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. cue — for pool
  14. squash — to crush
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. plane — a tool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. deal — to handle
  23. calf — a young animal
  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