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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.

Make a worksheet

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: hide · lean · game · fan · root · calf · band · toast

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. band — a ring
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. game — wild animals
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. lean — thin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. lean — to bend
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — of a plant
  14. band — a music group
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. game — a match
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. root — the cause
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. toast — bread

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