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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 116 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. mate — a partner
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mate — a friend
  9. wax — in the ear
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mate — to breed
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. game — a match
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. wax — to grow
  21. game — wild animals
  22. kick — in football
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. kick — a thrill

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