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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: spell · nail · wind · can · calf · pitcher · field · tear

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — a tin
  4. tear — from crying
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. can — to be able to
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wind — moving air
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. field — farmland
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. spell — magic
  15. tear — to rip
  16. spell — letters
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. spell — a short time
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. field — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. tear — from crying
  23. wind — moving air
  24. nail — for a hammer

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