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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 116 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: ruler · calf · mate · drill · lash · pound · tube · band

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. band — a music group
  4. tube — a container
  5. mate — a friend
  6. tube — the underground
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. drill — the tool
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. drill — a practice
  20. drill — army training
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. mate — a partner
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. tube — in a tire

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