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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. clip — a video
  7. branch — a division
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. toast — bread
  10. band — a ring
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. band — a music group
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. clip — for paper
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. object — a thing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. object — to protest
  23. object — an aim
  24. clip — to cut

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