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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's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. kick — in football
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. march — music
  8. craft — boats
  9. pass — a permit
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. band — a ring
  13. march — the month
  14. current — electric
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — of water
  19. craft — a skill
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. current — happening now
  22. march — the month
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. craft — a handicraft

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