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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
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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: roll · can · spell · pitcher · fine · bat · face · calf

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fine — all right
  5. roll — a cake
  6. spell — letters
  7. roll — a list
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bat — the animal
  15. spell — a short time
  16. face — to confront
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. face — to point toward
  20. spell — magic
  21. face — part of the head
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. roll — on a roll

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