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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. band — a music group
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — obliged
  8. tear — to rip
  9. staff — employees
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. staff — a stick
  14. rest — a break
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rest — what's left
  17. band — a ring
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. staff — employees
  22. bound — tied together
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. bowl — a dish

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