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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. band — a music group
  3. land — to come down
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. land — ground
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. pop — soda
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. land — a country
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. plane — a tool
  13. bank — for money
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. bass — low music
  16. band — a ring
  17. bank — for money
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pop — music
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. bass — the fish
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. trunk — of a tree

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