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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: spring · calf · leaves · spell · pitcher · fine · foot · kick

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. spring — the season
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. fine — all right
  12. kick — in football
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — letters
  16. spring — of water
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. spell — magic
  19. foot — a measure
  20. spell — a short time
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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