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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · rush · fan · calf · last · nail · present · ball

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. present — a gift
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. season — of the year
  10. last — finally
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — to go on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. last — final
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. season — in sport
  18. present — there
  19. present — the time now
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ball — a dance
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. ball — a great time

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