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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 120 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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bore — to drill
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. can — a tin
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. key — in music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. key — for a lock
  20. key — the most important part
  21. stem — to come from
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. can — a tin

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