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

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. content — the amount
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. band — a ring
  7. foot — a measure
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. band — a music group
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. lean — thin
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. content — happy
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. kick — in football

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