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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. prune — to trim
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. key — for a lock
  6. band — a ring
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. band — a music group
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mark — a trace
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. prune — to trim
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. mark — a grade
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. key — the most important part
  23. key — in music
  24. leaves — to go away

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