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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. pitch — completely
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. spell — a short time
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — happening now
  10. current — of water
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. net — in sport
  13. spell — magic
  14. net — after costs
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a ring
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to point toward
  19. net — for catching
  20. bore — to drill
  21. face — to confront
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — letters
  24. current — electric

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