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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: calf · band · bank · bat · rest · firm · straw · ball

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. band — a ring
  3. rest — a break
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. bank — for money
  7. bat — the animal
  8. firm — decided
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. band — a music group
  13. firm — steady
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bank — for money
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ball — a great time
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. firm — a company
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bank — of a river
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. calf — of the leg

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