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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: swing · track · cue · band · calf · march · lash · mine

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. band — a ring
  4. swing — music
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. march — the month
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. march — the month
  10. cue — a hint
  11. swing — in golf
  12. track — a path
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. march — music
  15. track — a song
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. swing — to play on
  19. cue — a signal
  20. track — to keep track
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. band — a music group
  23. mine — for digging
  24. cue — for pool

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