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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. net — for catching
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. pound — a weight
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. band — a music group
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lean — thin
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — to sink
  17. lean — to bend
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — for money
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pound — to hit hard

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