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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rest — a break
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. plane — a tool
  8. branch — a division
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. ground — the earth
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rest — what's left
  16. band — a music group
  17. ground — a position
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. board — to get on
  20. board — a committee
  21. ground — crushed
  22. rock — music
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rock — a stone

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