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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: leaves · calf · fan · arm · season · spell · key · pop

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. key — the most important part
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pop — music
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. season — in sport
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pop — soda
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. season — of the year
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. key — for a lock
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. spell — a short time
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pop — to visit
  21. spell — magic
  22. key — in music
  23. spell — letters
  24. season — to add flavour

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