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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 put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. bass — low music
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. bass — the fish
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. lean — to bend
  9. spell — letters
  10. lean — thin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. spell — a short time
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. band — a ring
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. band — a music group
  24. season — to add flavour

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