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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: saw · band · bulb · degree · leaves · jam · calf · rock

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. rock — music
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. band — a ring
  8. rock — a stone
  9. degree — an amount
  10. degree — from a university
  11. bulb — for light
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. degree — temperature
  14. saw — the tool
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. jam — in traffic

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