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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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 ring
  2. rush — hurry
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. band — a music group
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. rock — a stone
  18. lean — thin
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rock — music
  22. shower — to wash
  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