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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: band · snap · object · field · calf · branch · lean · bowl

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. field — a subject
  6. branch — a division
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. object — a thing
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. band — a music group
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. field — for sport
  14. object — to protest
  15. snap — to click
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. lean — to bend
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — thin
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. object — an aim
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. field — farmland

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