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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bass — low music
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. kick — in football
  11. object — an aim
  12. branch — a division
  13. can — to be able to
  14. object — to protest
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. object — a thing
  17. can — a tin
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. can — a tin
  24. patient — a sick person

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