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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stock — goods
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. band — a ring
  7. present — the time now
  8. face — part of the head
  9. band — a music group
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. present — there
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. present — a gift
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. face — to confront
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. face — to point toward
  24. stock — shares

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