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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — a thing
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. tear — from crying
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. mine — for digging
  11. perch — the fish
  12. band — a ring
  13. bank — for money
  14. tear — to rip
  15. roll — a cake
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. roll — a list
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. tear — from crying
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. object — an aim
  24. roll — on a roll

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