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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. toast — bread
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. root — of a plant
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. saw — the tool
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. root — the cause
  13. band — a music group
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. swing — to play on
  16. swing — in golf
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. saw — the tool
  19. lie — to recline
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. swing — music
  22. root — of a word
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. calf — a young animal

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