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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 still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. board — a committee
  3. object — an aim
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. band — a music group
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. track — a song
  8. wake — a trail
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. track — to keep track
  11. board — to get on
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. branch — a division
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. object — a thing
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. track — a path
  24. object — to protest

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