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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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. rock — a stone
  3. rock — music
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cold — not warm
  8. firm — decided
  9. cold — an illness
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. swing — in golf
  12. bore — to drill
  13. swing — to play on
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. band — a ring
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — a company
  19. wind — moving air
  20. firm — steady
  21. band — a music group
  22. swing — music
  23. bore — to tire
  24. cold — the Cold War

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