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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. wound — an injury
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. board — to get on
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. present — there
  11. bound — tied together
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. board — a committee
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pound — a weight
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. bound — obliged
  19. wound — an injury
  20. mine — for digging
  21. bound — certain
  22. present — a gift
  23. band — a ring
  24. calf — of the leg

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