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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. deal — to handle
  6. land — to come down
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. band — a music group
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. band — a ring
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. land — ground
  19. hand — in cards
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. hand — help
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. land — a country
  24. bank — for money

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