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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. band — a ring
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. last — to go on
  8. bass — the fish
  9. band — a music group
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — the animal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. last — finally
  19. chest — a box
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bass — low music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. last — final
  24. chest — of your body

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