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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. toast — bread
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. spring — the season
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. object — an aim
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. spring — of water
  11. pass — a permit
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. band — a ring
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. spring — a coil
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. foot — a measure
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — a tight spot

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