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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: pass · roll · bore · fan · mouse · band · calf · tube

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. tube — the underground
  3. roll — a list
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. roll — a cake
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bore — to tire
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. pass — a permit
  17. tube — a container
  18. band — a ring
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. pass — to succeed

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