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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 · tube · kick · roll · saw · cabinet · snap · calf

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to click
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. roll — a cake
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. roll — a list
  24. cabinet — ministers

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