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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: fan · rest · calf · spell · band · foot · net · press

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. net — for catching
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rest — what's left
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. press — newspapers
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. net — in sport
  10. rest — a break
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. press — a publisher
  18. net — after costs
  19. rest — what's left
  20. press — to push
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — magic

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