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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. band — a ring
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. staff — a stick
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. staff — employees
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. key — in music
  15. key — the most important part
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. staff — employees
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. wind — moving air
  21. key — for a lock
  22. cap — a lid
  23. plane — a tool
  24. wind — moving air

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