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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pass — a permit
  4. lie — to recline
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wax — to grow
  9. bank — for money
  10. band — a music group
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. root — of a word
  13. current — happening now
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. root — the cause
  16. current — electric
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. bank — for money
  21. root — of a plant
  22. current — of water
  23. bank — of a river
  24. calf — of the leg

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