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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. bound — tied together
  5. season — of the year
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. bound — obliged
  11. season — in sport
  12. rule — a law
  13. rule — government
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. lean — to bend
  19. bound — certain
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. band — a music group

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