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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. mate — to breed
  4. band — a ring
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. mate — a partner
  9. current — electric
  10. mate — a friend
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. band — a music group
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. current — of water
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bulb — for light
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. current — happening now
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. pop — to visit

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