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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. chest — of your body
  4. court — of a king
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bore — to drill
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. chest — a box
  9. bore — to tire
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. craft — boats
  12. court — for sport
  13. band — a music group
  14. craft — a skill
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. court — of law
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. chest — of your body
  24. mark — a grade

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