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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. can — to be able to
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a ring
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. plane — a tool
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. present — a gift
  13. bound — tied together
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. bound — certain
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. band — a music group
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. can — a tin
  22. can — a tin
  23. bound — obliged
  24. wake — a trail

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