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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. object — an aim
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. band — a ring
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. object — to protest
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. cold — an illness
  18. cold — not warm
  19. perch — the fish
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. object — a thing

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