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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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. calf — a young animal
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. bass — the fish
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. firm — a company
  7. staff — employees
  8. firm — steady
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. wake — a trail
  11. firm — decided
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. band — a music group
  14. staff — employees
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. staff — a stick
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. bass — low music
  23. band — a ring
  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