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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 120 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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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: fall · foot · band · leaves · spell · calf

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. fall — to drop
  3. spell — magic
  4. foot — a measure
  5. band — a ring
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. band — a music group
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. spell — a short time
  11. spell — letters
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fall — the season
  18. leaves — to go away

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