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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: band · hand · date · snap · racket · hide · leaves · foot

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. foot — a measure
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — in cards
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. band — a music group
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. band — a ring
  16. snap — to click
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. hand — help
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. date — on the calendar

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