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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: wake · stick · cabinet · band · calf · last · bulb · bound

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. band — a music group
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bound — certain
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wake — a trail
  9. bound — obliged
  10. last — to go on
  11. bulb — for light
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. bound — tied together
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. last — finally
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. calf — a young animal

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