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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. craft — a skill
  3. mate — a partner
  4. bear — the animal
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. mate — to breed
  7. bear — the animal
  8. present — a gift
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pop — music
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. pop — to visit
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. mate — a friend
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. present — there
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. pop — soda
  21. band — a ring
  22. craft — boats
  23. present — the time now
  24. nail — on a finger

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