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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: board · spell · patient · stem · kick · band · straw · pop

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stem — to come from
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pop — music
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pop — soda
  12. spell — a short time
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. band — a music group
  15. kick — in football
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. board — a committee
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. band — a ring
  22. spell — letters
  23. pop — to visit
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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