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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: perch · bowl · band · object · tear · season · nail · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. band — a music group
  3. object — to protest
  4. tear — to rip
  5. object — a thing
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. band — a ring
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. season — of the year
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. perch — the fish
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — in sport
  23. object — an aim
  24. nail — for a hammer

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