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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: spell · cap · leaves · patient · bowl · calf · date · row

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. spell — letters
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. cap — of ice
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. cap — a hat
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. spell — magic
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. date — the fruit
  18. cap — a lid
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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