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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: calf · clip · field · pop · rest · fan · stick · mug

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. clip — to cut
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mug — a face
  10. clip — for paper
  11. mug — to rob
  12. field — a subject
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. rest — what's left
  15. field — farmland
  16. clip — a video
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rest — what's left
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rest — a break
  21. pop — music
  22. field — for sport
  23. pop — to visit
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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