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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.

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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. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. kid — child
  5. bear — the animal
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bore — to drill
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. suit — in cards
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. band — a ring
  15. bore — to tire
  16. land — a country
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. kid — to tease
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bear — the animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. land — ground

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