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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: drill · season · stock · snap · kick · calf · craft · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. spell — letters
  4. craft — boats
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. drill — a practice
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — of the year
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. kick — in football
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. spell — a short time
  16. stock — goods
  17. craft — a skill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stock — shares
  21. snap — to click
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. drill — the tool

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