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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: calf · pitcher · roll · season · spell · fall · lie · pop

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. pop — soda
  3. roll — a list
  4. spell — a short time
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. spell — magic
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. pop — to visit
  14. lie — to recline
  15. pop — music
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. season — of the year
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. fall — to drop
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — the season
  24. calf — of the leg

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