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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 120 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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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: object · band · hand · pit · bear · last · trunk · stick

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. band — a music group
  3. last — finally
  4. object — a thing
  5. last — final
  6. band — a ring
  7. bear — the animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. hand — help
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. object — to protest
  15. hand — in cards
  16. last — to go on
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. pit — in a race
  20. bear — the animal
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. object — an aim
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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