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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bass — low music
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. band — a music group
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. mug — to rob
  15. land — a country
  16. bear — the animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a ring
  19. hand — help
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bass — the fish
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. hand — in cards

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