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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. dip — to sink
  3. band — a ring
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bound — tied together
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. rest — a break
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. rush — hurry
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. bound — certain
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. roll — a cake
  18. rest — what's left
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. roll — a list
  23. band — a music group
  24. rest — what's left

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