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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chair — a leader
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. band — a music group
  6. wake — a trail
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. last — finally
  10. bass — low music
  11. chip — for betting
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. last — to go on
  15. snap — to click
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. chip — to eat
  21. last — final
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. bass — the fish
  24. band — a ring

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