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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 124 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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a ring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. firm — a company
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. firm — decided
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. bass — low music
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. firm — steady
  18. bass — the fish
  19. band — a music group
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — of a word
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. root — the cause
  24. safe — out of danger

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