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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 120 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. march — the month
  6. rock — music
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. march — music
  16. vault — a safe
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. sharp — clever
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. band — a ring
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to sink
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. sharp — with an edge

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