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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 120 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: spell · snap · land · current · mouse · band · stand · calf

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stand — to bear
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — ground
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. spell — magic
  10. band — a ring
  11. current — electric
  12. spell — a short time
  13. current — happening now
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. band — a music group
  17. land — a country
  18. land — to come down
  19. snap — to click
  20. current — of water
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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