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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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Word bank
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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 · toast · pit · band · bear · calf · rush · wake

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. bear — the animal
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rush — hurry
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. band — a ring
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. bear — the animal
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pit — a hole
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. band — a music group
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. toast — bread
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pit — in a race
  24. 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