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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: kid · calf · bound · band · stand · jam · rush · lie

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a music group
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. bound — tied together
  7. lie — to recline
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. kid — child
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. bound — certain
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bound — obliged
  14. band — a ring
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. rush — hurry
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — to tease
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. stand — to bear

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