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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · calf · lean · arm · pass · coach · wind · fan

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. pass — a permit
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — thin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. wind — moving air
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. spell — a short time
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. spell — letters
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. wind — moving air
  18. spell — magic
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. lean — to bend
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pass — to spend time

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