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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: band · calf · craft · can · snap · roll · cabinet · fall

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. can — a tin
  5. band — a ring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. band — a music group
  10. roll — a list
  11. can — a tin
  12. craft — a skill
  13. fall — the season
  14. fall — to drop
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. can — to be able to
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. roll — a cake
  19. craft — boats
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. snap — to click
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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