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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 120 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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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: fall · pound · present · calf · bowl · mine · bear · band

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. mine — for digging
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. present — there
  6. bear — the animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. present — the time now
  11. present — a gift
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. fall — to drop
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. band — a ring
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. fall — to drop
  22. band — a music group
  23. fall — the season
  24. pound — to hit hard

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