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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.

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: cell · calf · net · chest · pass · spell · squash · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. chest — of your body
  5. net — for catching
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. chest — of your body
  9. cell — a phone
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. net — after costs
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. cell — in biology
  20. net — in sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. chest — a box
  24. spell — magic

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