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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: stick · firm · trunk · kid · band · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. kid — child
  8. fine — all right
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. firm — decided
  12. band — a music group
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. band — a ring
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. kid — to tease

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