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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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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. mug — a face
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. spring — the season
  5. charge — in control
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. vault — a safe
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. mug — to rob
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. mug — a cup
  13. prune — to trim
  14. charge — electricity
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. spring — of water
  19. band — a music group
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. charge — a price
  22. wound — an injury
  23. prune — to trim
  24. wound — an injury

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