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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: calf · plane · cell · fan · season · arm · chip · spring

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. season — of the year
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. cell — in biology
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. spring — a coil
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chip — to eat
  12. spring — of water
  13. cell — a phone
  14. chip — for betting
  15. plane — a tool
  16. spring — the season
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. season — in sport
  24. plane — an aircraft

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