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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mate — to breed
  10. mate — a partner
  11. wound — an injury
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. land — a country
  14. mate — a friend
  15. wound — an injury
  16. band — a ring
  17. land — ground
  18. stand — to bear
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. land — to come down
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. stand — on your feet

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