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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: shower · hide · spell · calf · foot · suit · land · swing

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — clothes
  3. spell — a short time
  4. land — ground
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. shower — rain
  10. foot — a measure
  11. land — to come down
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — music
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. land — a country
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. swing — to play on
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. spell — letters
  22. suit — to fit
  23. spell — magic
  24. calf — a young animal

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