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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.

Make a worksheet

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: wake · calf · band · jam · sharp · court · wind · dip

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. court — for sport
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. wake — a trail
  12. sharp — clever
  13. wind — moving air
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. band — a music group
  23. wind — moving air
  24. band — a ring

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