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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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. mug — to rob
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. band — a music group
  8. fine — high quality
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — in football
  12. wind — moving air
  13. rule — government
  14. band — a ring
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — soda
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rule — a law
  19. mug — a cup
  20. fine — all right
  21. mug — a face
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. wind — moving air
  24. calf — a young animal

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