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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: foot · calf · lie · racket · band · bound · content · straw

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — the amount
  2. lie — to recline
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — certain
  8. foot — a measure
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bound — tied together
  11. content — happy
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. band — a ring
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bound — obliged
  22. band — a music group
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. foot — part of the body

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