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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 116 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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. swing — to play on
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. staff — employees
  6. bass — the fish
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bear — the animal
  9. swing — music
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. craft — a skill
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bear — the animal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. swing — in golf
  18. craft — boats
  19. staff — a stick
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. staff — employees
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. band — a music group
  24. bass — low music

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