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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 116 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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. spring — of water
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. fall — to drop
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — magic
  10. band — a music group
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. spring — the season
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bank — for money
  21. fall — the season
  22. spring — a coil
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. fall — to drop

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