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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: deal · bank · bowl · hand · wax · row · cabinet · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. bank — of a river
  3. hand — help
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bank — for money
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. wax — to grow
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. hand — in cards
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. deal — to handle
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. row — a line
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bank — for money
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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