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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: lie · dip · net · calf · shower · bound · rock · band

  1. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. net — in sport
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. net — after costs
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. rock — music
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. dip — to sink
  12. bound — certain
  13. lie — to recline
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. bound — obliged
  16. shower — rain
  17. band — a ring
  18. shower — to wash
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. net — for catching
  23. band — a music group
  24. dip — a sauce

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