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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. spell — a short time
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. sharp — clever
  6. prune — to trim
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. spell — letters
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a great time
  11. band — a music group
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. wax — to grow
  21. band — a ring
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. spell — magic
  24. calf — a young animal

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