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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. deal — to handle
  6. lean — thin
  7. bass — the fish
  8. tube — the underground
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. bass — low music
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. band — a music group
  20. tube — a container
  21. press — newspapers
  22. lean — to bend
  23. press — to push
  24. bore — gave birth

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