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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: tear · bowl · face · calf · band · lean · rock · tube

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. band — a music group
  3. band — a ring
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. tear — to rip
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rock — music
  8. tear — from crying
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. lean — to bend
  16. tube — the underground
  17. face — to point toward
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. face — part of the head
  21. face — to confront
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. lean — thin
  24. tube — a container

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