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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 120 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: calf · mouse · fall · spell · craft · ground · land · rash

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. land — to come down
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. ground — a position
  5. land — a country
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rash — hasty
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. craft — boats
  16. spell — letters
  17. rash — a series
  18. land — ground
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. ground — crushed
  22. spell — magic
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fall — to drop

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