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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. object — a thing
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. object — to protest
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — a trail
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. last — finally
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. last — to go on
  15. stand — to bear
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fork — in a road
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. last — final
  22. band — a ring
  23. object — an aim
  24. jam — in traffic

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