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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.

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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: calf · spring · bank · ruler · spell · cell

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bank — for money
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — a coil
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. spring — the season
  7. spell — letters
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bank — for money
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cell — a phone
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bank — of a river
  15. cell — in biology
  16. spring — of water
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cell — in a prison

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