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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. cap — a lid
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. root — the cause
  9. band — a ring
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. charge — electricity
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. ground — a position
  17. band — a music group
  18. root — of a word
  19. ground — the earth
  20. charge — in control
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. charge — a price
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wake — a trail

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