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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
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: fine · season · fan · stick · drill · mark · calf · cold

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. mark — a grade
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. season — of the year
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — army training
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. fine — all right
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. cold — an illness
  16. mark — a trace
  17. season — in sport
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. fine — high quality
  24. season — to add flavour

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