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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.

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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: fork · spring · calf · plane · roll · last · spell · fine

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. fork — in a road
  4. last — final
  5. spring — a coil
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. spell — magic
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. last — to go on
  10. spell — letters
  11. spring — of water
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. fine — high quality
  14. roll — a list
  15. last — finally
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. roll — a cake
  19. spell — a short time
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. plane — a tool
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. fine — all right
  24. plane — in geometry

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