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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: kid · squash · calf · bank · rash · saw · cap · band

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cap — a hat
  3. saw — the tool
  4. saw — the tool
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. cap — a lid
  10. rash — hasty
  11. bank — for money
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bank — for money
  14. rash — a series
  15. squash — the sport
  16. band — a ring
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. kid — to tease
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. band — a music group
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — of a river

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