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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 120 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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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. kick — a thrill
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. present — the time now
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — a thing
  9. saw — the tool
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — in football
  12. present — a gift
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. can — a tin
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. saw — the tool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. band — a ring
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. band — a rubber band

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