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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: fall · object · bear · calf · deal · arm · band · leaves

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. fall — to drop
  5. band — a ring
  6. fall — to drop
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. object — a thing
  12. deal — to handle
  13. object — an aim
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. object — to protest
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. band — a music group

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