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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: calf · last · court · drill · dip · stick · straw · spell

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — to sink
  4. last — final
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. court — of a king
  8. drill — army training
  9. court — of law
  10. drill — the tool
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. last — to go on
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. drill — a practice
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. spell — a short time

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