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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: band · bank · court · hide · lie · calf · wave · club

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. court — of a king
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. club — for dancing
  6. court — for sport
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bank — for money
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. bank — of a river
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. band — a ring
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. bank — for money
  19. club — for golf
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. band — a music group
  23. club — a group
  24. lie — to recline

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