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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: band · hand · mine · fall · wave · suit · calf · craft

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hand — help
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. fall — the season
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a ring
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. suit — to fit
  15. craft — a skill
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. suit — in cards
  18. suit — clothes
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a music group
  23. craft — boats
  24. calf — a young animal

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