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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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bound — obliged
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bound — tied together
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cell — in biology
  8. rest — what's left
  9. row — a line
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bound — certain
  19. cell — a phone
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. band — a ring
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. rest — what's left
  24. band — a music group

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