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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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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: pass · band · calf · fall · pound · snap · spell · fan

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. spell — a short time
  10. fall — the season
  11. snap — to click
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spell — magic
  15. band — a music group
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pound — a weight
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. band — a ring
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pass — a permit

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