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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: can · snap · spring · mine · bank · calf · court · band

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. snap — to click
  3. spring — a coil
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. bank — for money
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. band — a ring
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. spring — of water
  17. can — a tin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — to be able to
  20. can — a tin
  21. court — of law
  22. mine — for digging
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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