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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. file — a document
  4. pass — a permit
  5. band — a music group
  6. pop — soda
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. root — of a word
  9. root — the cause
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — to visit
  12. object — a thing
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. band — a ring
  15. file — a tool
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — an aim
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. wound — an injury
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. file — a line of people

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