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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. band — a music group
  9. season — of the year
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. band — a ring
  13. tube — the underground
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. tube — a container
  24. safe — a strongbox

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