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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 · deal · mug · fan · object · spell · snap · fine

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. object — an aim
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spell — letters
  5. deal — to handle
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mug — a face
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spell — a short time
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. fine — all right
  14. mug — a cup
  15. object — a thing
  16. mug — to rob
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. object — to protest
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. spell — magic
  24. fine — high quality

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