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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. bore — to drill
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. file — a tool
  7. band — a music group
  8. firm — decided
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. bore — to tire
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. firm — steady
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. file — a line of people
  18. firm — a company
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. file — a document
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. jam — a tight spot

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