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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. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. board — to get on
  9. bound — obliged
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. band — a ring
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. vault — a safe
  17. tube — the underground
  18. board — a committee
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bound — certain
  21. bound — tied together
  22. tube — a container
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. kick — in football

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