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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. capital — money
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. capital — a big letter

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