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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: stand · band · fan · ball · calf · foot · date · hide

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. ball — a dance
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. band — a ring
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. foot — a measure
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. date — the fruit
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. band — a music group
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. ball — a great time
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. fan — to cool the air

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