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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: ball · calf · arm · bank · file · bay · band · sharp

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a ring
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. ball — a dance
  6. bank — for money
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. file — a line of people
  10. band — a music group
  11. file — a document
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. bank — for money
  16. file — a tool
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bank — of a river
  19. ball — a great time
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. sharp — clever
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. arm — part of the body

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