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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. rush — hurry
  5. band — a music group
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. band — a ring
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. present — a gift
  11. season — of the year
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. present — the time now
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. march — the month
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. present — there
  18. craft — boats
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. craft — a skill
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. ruler — a monarch

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