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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. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bass — the fish
  3. rash — hasty
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bank — for money
  7. hand — in cards
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. band — a ring
  12. bass — low music
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bank — of a river
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rash — a series
  22. bank — for money
  23. toast — bread
  24. band — a rubber band

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