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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. fall — the season
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. content — the amount
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. band — a music group
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. snap — to click
  23. content — happy
  24. band — a ring

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