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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 refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. We're on a ________________ here.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. roll — a list
  3. last — final
  4. band — a ring
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. roll — on a roll
  7. fall — to drop
  8. last — to go on
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bound — obliged
  12. fall — the season
  13. roll — a cake
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mug — a face
  18. last — finally
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bound — certain
  21. mug — to rob
  22. band — a music group
  23. fall — to drop
  24. calf — of the leg

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