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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 116 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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. suit — to fit
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. band — a ring
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. suit — in cards
  8. rash — hasty
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bound — obliged
  11. branch — a division
  12. rash — a series
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. file — a tool
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. suit — clothes
  20. band — a music group
  21. file — a line of people
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. file — a document

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