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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: band · bore · sharp · content · ball · calf · nail · stem

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. band — a music group
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. ball — a dance
  9. band — a ring
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. stem — to come from
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bore — to tire
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. bore — to drill
  20. content — the amount
  21. content — happy
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. calf — a young animal

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