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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: dip · foot · ball · band · calf · land · press · bound

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. press — a publisher
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — tied together
  6. band — a music group
  7. ball — a dance
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. press — to push
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. band — a ring
  12. ball — a great time
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. land — a country
  17. press — newspapers
  18. land — ground
  19. land — to come down
  20. bound — certain
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. ball — a round shape

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