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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: arm · band · land · bank · calf · season · snap · craft

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. bank — for money
  3. band — a music group
  4. land — a country
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bank — of a river
  7. band — a ring
  8. snap — to click
  9. season — of the year
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. land — to come down
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. land — ground
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. craft — boats
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. bank — for money
  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