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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. present — there
  3. march — the month
  4. march — music
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. perch — the fish
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. march — the month
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. rush — hurry
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. band — a ring
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. season — of the year
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. kick — in football

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