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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · calf · bulb · ruler · wind · band

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. present — the time now
  7. wind — moving air
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. bulb — for light
  10. band — a ring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. band — a music group
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. present — there
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. calf — of the leg

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