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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: calf · bass · current · cap · deal · wound · band · spring

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. cap — of ice
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. deal — to handle
  6. spring — the season
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. current — electric
  9. band — a music group
  10. cap — a hat
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. wound — an injury
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. spring — of water
  16. cap — a lid
  17. current — happening now
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. band — a ring
  21. bass — low music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. current — of water
  24. bass — the fish

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