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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: bound · stand · hand · calf · cap · cell · spell · branch

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cap — a hat
  4. branch — a division
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bound — obliged
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. spell — letters
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hand — in cards
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cap — a lid
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. spell — magic
  21. hand — help
  22. cell — a phone
  23. bound — certain
  24. cap — of ice

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