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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. band — a music group
  4. wound — an injury
  5. charge — in control
  6. can — a tin
  7. craft — boats
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. charge — a price
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. spring — of water
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. spring — the season
  17. craft — a skill
  18. stand — to bear
  19. can — a tin
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. spring — a coil
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. charge — electricity
  24. band — a ring

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