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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 120 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. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bound — certain
  3. sharp — clever
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bound — tied together
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. race — humankind
  10. band — a music group
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. tube — a container
  16. key — for a lock
  17. tube — the underground
  18. key — in music
  19. race — the arms race
  20. band — a ring
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. race — a contest

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