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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — a law
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a music group
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. season — of the year
  10. band — a ring
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. march — the month
  17. stand — to bear
  18. season — in sport
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. march — music
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. rule — government

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