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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: leaves · foot · spell · band · calf · deal · jam · wound

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. wound — an injury
  7. spell — magic
  8. spell — a short time
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. deal — to handle
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. foot — a measure
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. band — a music group
  21. band — a ring
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wound — an injury
  24. jam — a tight spot

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