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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. ball — a dance
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. ball — a great time
  9. bore — to tire
  10. bat — the animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rock — music
  16. band — a ring
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bore — to drill
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. lean — thin

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